The Cleveland Browns interviewed offensive coordinator Tommy Rees for their head coaching position on Thursday, per the team.
Rees is one of multiple candidates for the job. The group also includes defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who is expected to interview later in the day.
Despite the Browns’ offensive struggles this season, Rees remains highly regarded across the coaching landscape. His reputation and track record have continued to draw interest, with multiple college programs targeting him for head coaching openings.
Rees, 33, joined the Browns’ coaching staff in 2024 as a tight ends/pass game specialist before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2025. He took over playcalling duties in Week 10 and called plays for the remainder of the 2025 season, overseeing an offense that leaned heavily on production from its skill positions.
Rees previously served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Alabama in 2023 after spending six seasons on the coaching staff at Notre Dame. He became the Irish’s offensive coordinator in 2020 and held the role for three seasons, during which Notre Dame averaged more than 30 points per game each year and reached the College Football Playoff in 2020 following an undefeated regular season.
A former Notre Dame quarterback, Rees went 23-8 as a starter and finished second in school history with 61 touchdown passes and third with 7,351 passing yards.
Browns Remain ‘Open-Minded’ During Head Coaching Search
The Browns fired Kevin Stefanski this week. Stefanski finished with a 45-56 over six seasons with the Browns, leading the team to the postseason twice and earning two NFL Coach of the Year honors. He’s now one of the top candidates in the coaching carousel.
Stefanski came to the Browns with no head-coaching experience, a fact Browns general manager Andrew Berry alluded to when discussing the current coaching search.
“We’ll be pretty open-minded. I think there are a number of different archetypes of successful head coaches. I think about Kevin, I think it’s easy to forget now that he has two Coach of the Year awards on his mantle, that when he was interviewed first in 2019 and he didn’t get the job, and then again, I guess it was 2020 and he did,” Berry said. “In both of those cycles, he had no head coaching experience, and we were the only team that interviewed him.
“I think our responsibility is to search far and wide. There are good coaches out there. You know, we’ve just got to do our homework and find the right fit for us. We’ll have no preconceived notions as we go into the search.”
Browns May Target Fired Dolphins Coach Mike McDaniel
The Browns are interested in talking to recently fired Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, per Cleveland.com.
“McDaniel, 42, was Browns receivers coach in 2014 under then-offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, and the Browns have long admired his brilliant offensive mind,” Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot said. “He’s been on their radar for some time, and they will do their diligence on him now that he’s on the market.”
The Browns have multiple other interviews lined up. The team has put in interview requests for Todd Monken (Ravens offensive coordinator), Aden Durde (Seahawks defensive coordinator) and Dan Pitcher (Bengals offensive coordinator). Former Ravens skipper John Harbaugh is also expected to be on the team’s radar, although he’ll have a lot of interest.
Browns Make Tommy Rees Announcement Amid Coaching Search