Browns interview Tommy Rees, Darrell Bevell, for offensive coordinator job
Jan 09, 2025
The Browns are not sitting around waiting for the snow to melt before getting serious about finding a new offensive coordinator.
Darrell Bevell, the quarterbacks coach/pass game coordinator of the Miami Dolphins since 2022, on Jan. 9 interviewed for the job left vacant when Ken Dorsey was fired on Jan. 5.
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Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski interviewed his tight ends coach, Tommy Rees, for the OC job on Jan. 8. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported the Browns will interview Seahawks quarterbacks coach Charles London for the job on Jan. 10.
“We’re looking for somebody to come in and help us share in a vision where we can go play sound, explosive offensive football,” Stefanski said Jan. 5 in his wrap-up news conference. “I feel confident that we’ll be able to do that.”
The Browns, 3-14 in 2024, finished last in the league with 258 points scored. As much as each candidate might want to be an offensive coordinator, Stefanski might have to sell the Browns as a prime opportunity as much as the prospect has to sell himself because whoever gets the job will do so not knowing who will be the starting quarterback in 2025. That player likely isn’t on the current roster, general manager Andrew Berry indicated Jan. 6 in a season wrap-up press conference.
Bevell and Stefanski worked together on the Vikings’ coaching staff early in Stefanski’s NFL coaching career. Bevell, 55, was the Vikings’ offensive coordinator from 2006-10. Stefanski had the title of assistant to the head coach from 2006-08. He was the assistant quarterbacks coach in 2009-10.
Stefanski remained with the Vikings through 2019, eventually climbing the ladder to offensive coordinator. Bevell moved on to become the Seahawks offensive coordinator from 2011-17, Lions offensive coordinator from 2019-20 and the Jaguars offensive coordinator in 2021 before being hired by the Dolphins.
Bevell has coached Pro Bowl quarterbacks Brett Favre (Packers), Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Matthew Stafford (Lions), Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars) and Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins). He was the offensive coordinator and called plays for the Seahawks during their 43-8 Super Bowl XLVIII victory over the Broncos on Feb. 2, 2014.
Tagovailoa, under Bevell’s guidance in 2023, led the NFL in passing with 4,624 yards.
Rees, 32, is a former quarterback for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He joined the Browns coaching staff in 2024, but he is not inexperienced. He was the offensive coordinator at Notre Dame from 2020-22 under Brian Kelly and the offensive coordinator at Alabama under Nick Saban in 2023.
Mike Vrabel, who worked as a consultant with the Browns in 2023, spent much of his time working with the tight ends. Vrabel is expected to fill one of the NFL coaching vacancies, possibly the Patriots. It would be no surprise if he hired Rees as his offensive coordinator unless the Browns strike first.
Stefanski will make the call on whoever is hired as offensive coordinator, Berry said. Berry and Stefanski work closely together, but their roles are defined; Berry sets the roster and Stefanski sets the coaching staff.
“When it comes to the coaching staff, that’s Kevin’s decision,” Berry said. “It’s Kevin’s responsibility. He wants to make sure that we have a sound and explosive offense and that’ll really be the focus for us moving forward.”
London, 49, was the quarterbacks coach of the Tennessee Titans in 2023 working under head coach Vrabel. He took the job with the Seahawks in 2024 when Brian Callahan was named Titans head coach.