How Tommy Reesâ youth could be an asset for Alabama footballâs offense

Tommy Rees has a difficult challenge as Alabama football’s new offensive coordinator this season. He has to find a new starting quarterback to replace the NFL Draft’s No. 1 pick Bryce Young.

He has to implement his offense in a brand new place after coming over from Notre Dame in the offseason. He’s also working with a coach who is 40 years older than he is.

Though according to his boss at SEC Media Days on Wednesday in Nashville, that’s not a problem at all.

“It’s going great,” 71-year-old head coach Nick Saban said. “First of all, I still feel like I’m 39. Tommy’s great. He’s mature. He does a great job presenting the players and has a good relationship with the players. He’s very bright, he understands the game, he’s a very good quarterbacks coach in terms of helping guys improve at that position, which I think is critical.

The 31-year-old moved to Tuscaloosa after holding the same job at his alma mater Notre Dame, where he played quarterback from 2010 to 2013. Tyler Buchner followed Rees from South Bend and will compete for the starting quarterback job along with the returning Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson.

Whoever it is, Saban said Rees has the ability to get them where Alabama needs. He said the young coordinator has already added to the offense in ways

“Tommy Rees is one of the brightest young guys I’ve seen for a long time in this business,” he said from the podium. “He’s been a great addition and brought a lot of positives to the offensive side of the ball in terms of his ideas… His energy and enthusiasm on the field has been contagious and I think I see a great trust in our players with Tommy and what he tries to do from a leadership standpoint on offense.”

Alabama’s lone offensive player representative at media days, tackle JC Latham, agreed.

“He’s a great person. I can tell he has a love for the game, a passion for the game,” Latham said. “I think as far as the offense that he’s installed and brought to the team, it utilizes everybody’s strengths. We do whatever we got to do for whatever our strength is to succeed on that play or the series or whatever it might be”