The search for Alabama’s new offensive coordinator appears to have ended Friday with an outside hire.

Notre Dame OC Tommy Rees accepted the offer to take the same job in Tuscaloosa, according to multiple reports, ending the hunt for Bill O’Brien’s replacement. Nick Saban spoke to a number of candidates this week including Washington’s Nick Grubb and Akron head coach Joe Moorhead before Nick Saban eventually lured Rees away from his alma mater.

News of the mutual interest broke Thursday morning. Not long after, a South Bend-based reporter from the Athletic snapped a picture of Alabama’s private plane at the airport.

The former Irish quarterback had been on staff in South Bend since 2017, first as the quarterbacks coach from 2017-19 before adding the offensive coordinator title in 2020. He was reportedly offered the offensive coordinator job at LSU when Brian Kelly bolted in 2021 but chose to remain on Marcus Freeman’s staff at Notre Dame.

“This is where my heart is,” Rees told a Notre Dame team meeting in a video posted Dec. 1, 2021 by the program’s official Twitter account. “My heart is with you guys. I care too much about this place.”

There was early interest in the Alabama opening from Rees, AL.com learned, after completing the 2022 season at Notre Dame. The Irish offense went from a No. 26 ranking in 2020 to No. 45 a year later and to No. 60 in the first year under Freeman.

Consistency was the issue after struggling in season-opening losses to Ohio State and Marshall, Notre Dame rolled up 576 yards in a 45-32 win over previously-undefeated North Carolina.

As a player, Rees was the backup quarterback when Alabama crushed Notre Dame to win the 2012 national championship. He did not appear in the BCS title game but he was the offensive coordinator when the Crimson Tide beat Notre Dame in the Rose Bowl semifinal en route to the 2020 championship.

At Notre Dame, Rees worked one year with current Alabama director of sports performance, David Ballou. Hired in 2017 in South Bend, Ballou came from IMG Academy before leaving a year later for Indiana and then in 2020 for Alabama.

Rees’ coaching experience before returning to his alma mater is brief. He was an offensive assistant with the Chargers in the NFL in 2016 after spending one year as a graduate assistant at Northwestern in 2015. After completing his college career in 2013, Rees was briefly signed as an NFL free agent by Washington but was cut a week later.

The challenge waiting in Tuscaloosa will be notable as the Crimson Tide has to replace the first Heisman-winning quarterback in program history. The exit of Bryce Young leaves Jalen Milroe, Ty Simson and incoming freshmen Eli Holstein (No. 8 QB in 247Sports ranking) and Dylan Lonergan (No. 13 QB) on the menu should Alabama opt against testing the transfer market.

He leaves a Notre Dame offense that recently landed Sam Hartman from Wake Forest from the transfer portal. The 2023 signing class, ranked No. 11 overall by 247Sports, included No. 14 quarterback Kenny Minchey from Hendersonville, Tennessee.

Alabama offensive coordinators under Nick Saban

• Major Applewhite 2007
• Jim McElwain 2008-11
• Doug Nussmeier 2012-13
• Lane Kiffin 2014-16
• Brian Daboll 2017
• Mike Locksley 2018
• Steve Sarkisian 2019-20
• Bill O’Brien 2021-22
• Tommy Rees 2023-pres