The advice LSU coach Brian Kelly gave Tommy Rees about taking Alabama football OC job
Few know new Alabama football offensive coordinator Tommy Rees better than the head coach of one of the Crimson Tide's top rivals.
LSU coach Brian Kelly recruited and coached Rees when Rees was a quarterback for Notre Dame from 2010-13. Then Rees later joined Kelly's staff as a quarterbacks coach and eventually offensive coordinator.
"We have a great relationship that we've kept," Kelly said on SEC Network on Monday at SEC Media Days.
They parted when Kelly took the LSU job ahead of the 2022 season. A year later, Rees had a chance to join him in the SEC. When Alabama and Nick Saban were offering him the opportunity to lead the Crimson Tide offense, Kelly was among those whom Rees consulted.
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"For him, he wanted to make sure this was the right move in his career," Kelly said. "I felt like it was. I thought it was going to be a great one. It was ultimately his decision. He didn't make it because I told him to do it. He did it because he felt like it was."
Why did Kelly think it was a good decision?
"You don't get a chance to work for Nick Saban very often," Kelly said. "When you do, good things generally happen. Matter of fact, mostly all the time. That's not a hard track record to look at. If you get a chance to work for Nick Saban, if you get a chance to work at a place like Alabama that has that kind of unparalleled success, this would be a great opportunity. He felt the same way, and I'm happy for him. We'll be happy for him except for one weekend or if there's implication of a tie or something."
Kelly and Rees will have a chance to face off Nov. 4 at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Brian Kelly to Tommy Rees: Good things happen working for Nick Saban
