Conference: Independent
Coach Stats
Why should this nominee be considered for the Broyles Award?
Tommy Rees has taken in experienced Notre Dame group and coached them into a high-performing, well-balanced attack that can score in a variety of ways. Notre Dame lost eight offensive starters to the NFL Draft following the 2020 season, including four-of-five starters on the offensive line and the quarterback, but under Rees’ tutelage, the Irish are again one of the teams contending for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Coach's Past Performance
Tommy Rees is in his second full season as the offensive coordinator at Notre Dame, and his fifth as the quarterbacks coach. He coached Irish quarterback Ian Book into becoming Notre Dame’s all-time winningest quarterback with 30 wins to his credit. Additionally, running back Kyren Williams was the 2020 ACC Freshman of the Year, ACC Offensive Freshman of the Year and a finalist for the Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Year Award. Two Irish offensive lineman were consensus All-Americans in 2020, while the unit was a finalist for the Joe Moore Award.
Team Record and Standings
Notre Dame is 9-1 on the season, with its only loss coming at the hands of third-ranked Cincinnati. The Irish are currently No. 6 in the polls and No. 9 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings.
Team/Unit Stats
The Notre Dame offense has continued to develop as the season has gone on. Once solidifying an experienced offensive line, the Irish have flourished. Rees has done a great job of adjusting his play calling to suit the strengths of his personnel, resulting in an ascending offensive unit. Over the last five games of the season (using the same starting five OL), Notre Dame is averaging 432 yards of offense per outing.
Individual Player Stats
Quarterback Jack Coan is completing 66.2 percent of his passes, hitting on 174-of-263 passes for 2,011 yards and 16 touchdowns, with just five interceptions. Running Back Kyren Williams is on his way to his second-straight 1,000 yard season as he currently has 872 rushing yards on 174 carries. Williams has 10 rushing touchdowns. Additionally, he is Notre Dame’s second-leading receiver with 36 catches for 308 yards and three more scores. Tight end Michael Mayer leads the Irish in receptions with 52 and receiving yards with 577 yards. Mayer has four touchdowns on the year, while wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr., leads the Irish with six receiving TDs. Austin has hauled in 34 catches for 569 receiving yards.
