Northwestern football: 3 ideal head coach replacements for Pat Fitzgerald

1. Tommy Rees, Alabama OC

I shifted back and forth between Tommy Rees and Brian Hartline for this spot, but I think that I have to give the nod to the former because he’s a little more proven. Hartline is an elite recruiter, but Rees is highly-regarded as an offensive mind, getting courted away from his alma mater of Notre Dame by Nick Saban and Alabama.

Plus, Rees has actually spent time in Evanston as a grad assistant back in 2015, so he knows the ins and outs of the program and it wouldn’t be a culture shock for him.

Rees has recruited the Midwest and knows what it’s like to uphold high academic standards so this would be a good fit for him. He’s the opposite of Pat Fitzgerald as more of an offensive mind as well — it wouldn’t be so bad to change the identity of the program after the scandal.

What would make this even more intriguing is the fact that Rees could build a young staff around him in Evanston and potentially build something special at a program that has failed to experience consistency in years.

A young offensive mind like Rees who’s familiar with the program makes too much sense.