Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban has always been a man of his word. When it comes to assisting his players and coaches in any way possible, he has always been there for them. In this case, Saban was an advocate for one of his former assistants.

According to NFL inside Adam Schefter, Saban was in favor of North Carolina hiring former Alabama offensive coordinator Tommy Rees to be the school’s next head coach. Saban’s word holds a lot of weight, and I am sure that the North Carolina administration heavily considered his pitch for Rees. However, the Tar Heels decided to go in a different direction and hire former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

As for Rees, he spent the 2023 season with the Crimson Tide as the team’s offensive coordinator. In 2024, Rees is the tight ends coach and pass game specialist for the Cleveland Browns.

When asked about Rees, Saban always had positive things to say about him. He is one of the bright minds in the game of football that will eventually be a head coach at the college or NFL level if he continues to work hard and climb the ladder.

Rees played quarterback at Notre Dame from 2010-2013. He passed for over 7,000 yards and 61 touchdowns for the Fighting Irish. Soon after his college career ended, he chose to be begin his coaching career. Rees will not be on the market for long as someone will recognize that his youth and coaching prowess will bring value to their program. Saban seems to think so as well.

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Brody Smoot is a team reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “follow” him on X, via @brodysmoot.