The three position coaches that the Browns have added to their coaching staff have been formally announced. They hire Jacques Cesaire to coach the defensive line, Duce Staley to train the running backs, and Tommy Rees to coach tight ends and pass games.
Rees, a former quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for Alabama, joins the Browns as a tight ends/pass game specialist.
“Tommy has established himself as one of the top assistant coaches in college football and I have no doubt that will transition to the NFL,” Kevin Stefanski, the head coach, stated. “He has an incredible football acumen and I look forward to bringing his insight and unique perspective from top college programs to our offense.”
Rees worked as Alabama’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for one season in 2023. Rees led the Crimson Tide to a 12-2 record in his lone season at Alabama, which included a victory in the SEC Championship Game and a trip to the College Football Playoff semifinal.
Prior to this, he worked for Notre Dame for six seasons. From 2017 to 2019, he was the quarterbacks coach. From 2020 to 22 he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. After he took over as Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator for three seasons, the squad averaged over thirty points per game and, in 2020, made it to the College Football Playoffs following an undefeated regular season.
Rees joined Northwestern as a graduate assistant in 2015 before starting his coaching career. After that, he worked as an offensive assistant with the San Diego Chargers for a season in 2016. After four seasons at Notre Dame, where he finished third with 7,351 throwing yards and second in school history with 61 touchdown passes, he called it quits on his collegiate career.
Pro Bowl tight end David Njoku, who led the Browns in 2023 with 81 receptions and six touchdown catches, moves into Rees’ room. Njoku accrued 882 receiving yards by the end of the season.
“Duce was a tough, hard-nosed running back in this league and brings the mind-set and energy to his coaching style that is needed in the running backs room,” Stefanski stated. “Having worked with some of the best running backs in the NFL, he knows how to get the most out of his players.” Having him in charge of our running backs excites us.”
Staley brings 25 years of experience to the table as an NFL coach and player, having won a Super Bowl in each of his last two stints. He spent his first two seasons as the special teams quality control coach with the Eagles in 2010 before starting his NFL coaching career. He then took over as the running backs coach at