The Falcons' new offensive coordinator was a successful play-caller in the college ranks.
Terrin Waack
ATLANTA Kevin Stefanski and Tommy Rees understand the partnership that's in place for the 2026 season.
They've done this dance before.
On Tuesday, during his introductory press conference asthe Atlanta Falcons head coach, Stefanski announced Rees will call plays this year as the offensive coordinator.
"That's a setup that I'm very, very comfortable with," Stefanski said.
It's the same setup the two operated under last season with the Cleveland Browns.
Stefanski became the Browns' head coach in 2020 and maintained play-calling duties into 2024. Come Week 8 of that latter year, though, he transferred that responsibility to then-offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey.
A similar storyline happened in 2025. Stefanski began the season as the play-caller butpassed the headset to Rees, the new offensive coordinator, in Week 10.
"He's somebody that I trust," Stefanski said. "We see the game similarly, but we also push each other because we're different."
Those nine games last season were Rees' first as an NFL play-caller. However, he's no stranger to task. Rees called plays in the NCAA for five years and change prior to joining the Browns in 2024 as the tight ends coach and pass game specialist.
Rees made his play-calling debut in 2019 for the University of Notre Dame. He was the Fighting Irish's quarterbacks coach but gained the responsibility after former offensive coordinatorChip Long parted ways with the programafter the regular season. Rees called Notre Dame's 33-9 win against Iowa State University in the Camping World Bowl.
After that, Rees became Notre Dame's offensive coordinator and continued calling plays from 2020-22. He moved to the University of Alabama in 2023 and did the same.
Rees did well at both stops. Notre Dame averaged more than 30 points per game each year and made the 2020 College Football Playoffs. Alabama averaged 34 points per game and made the 2023 CFP.
That recent history was why Rees wasn't nervous when Stefanski handed him the reigns last year, despite the task coming at a higher level.
"Look, you learn every time you call plays, right?"Rees said at the time. "I started calling plays the last game of the season in 2019. I had a handful of years there in a row calling them, called them in big games, called them in games people didn't watch, everywhere in between. Worked for two head coaches that are pretty intense on game day, so obviously you learned how to block out some noise, some friendly fire there. But I think you get into a groove, you get into a comfort level. So much of it is about learning your own team."
Roster decisions are on hold until a general manager is brought into Atlanta, but most maybe all of the offensive staff is already in place.
So far, those new to the Falcons include offensive line coach Bill Callahan and wide receivers coach Robert Prince. Otherwise, tight ends coach Kevin Koger, running backs coach Michael Pitre and assistant offensive line coach Nick Jones were retained.
"Tommy will head up that offensive staff," Stefanski said. "I'm excited about some of the people we've been able to bring in already to this group, and I have the utmost confidence in Tommy."
That's why Rees was a part of the Stefanski package.
Stefanski was hired Jan. 17.Rees was only five days later. The quick turn makes sense after Falcons president of football Matt Ryan explained each head coach candidate was asked during the interview process about desired coordinators.
"I think these are big hires and important hires for them, and you want to make sure everybody's seeing it the same way," Ryan said. "So, we did a lot of reference work on Tommy and feel much like Kevin: very strongly about him as a young coach and what he can do. (We) agreed that he's inexperienced when it comes to play-calling in the NFL, but he's very experienced at calling plays."
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