Cleveland Browns tight ends coach Tommy Rees has emerged as an internal candidate to replace Ken Dorsey as the team’s offensive coordinator, according to NFL insider Ari Meirov.

The Browns fired Dorsey on Sunday after hiring him to the position less than a year ago. Before coming to the NFL, Rees worked as OC and quarterbacks coach for both Notre Dame and Alabama. He arrived in Cleveland at the same time as Dorsey, spending less than a year as tight ends coach.

Meirov reports that there will be a search, but the 32-year-old coach has experience leading major college football offenses. Rees also serves as the Browns’ “pass game specialist,” so he also has experience working with more than just the team’s tight ends.

Like Dorsey, Rees also arrived in Cleveland ahead of the 2024-25 season having previously served as OC at two blue-blood college football programs. He was at Alabama previously but parted ways with the Crimson Tide following the retirement of Nick Saban.

Before that, he was with Notre Dame, his alma mater, from 2017 through 2022. He served as the team’s QB coach from 2017-2019 before being promoted to OC while still holding his job as QB coach from 2020 until he left for Tuscaloosa after the 2022 season.

Rees has had a successful first season in Cleveland as well. His top two tight ends, David Njoku and Jordan Akins are the Browns third and fourth-leading receivers, respectively. Njoku has a team-high five receiving touchdowns this season.

According to reports, Rees was almost poached away from the Browns before he could even spend a year in Cleveland. Rees was reportedly the favorite to replace Mack Brown at North Carolina, a job that ultimately went to longtime New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

Ultimately, North Carolina opted to hire Belichick to replace Brown, giving him a reported three-year deal worth $30 million. It’s a big swing for the Tar Heels, who bring in one of the top NFL coaches in history.

Belichick has eight Super Bowl rings, including six with the New England Patriots alongside Tom Brady, and is considered arguably the greatest coach in league history. During his career as a head coach with the Patriots and Cleveland Browns, Belichick has a 302-165 overall record.