Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees made headlines Saturday by using some spicy language to motivate quarterback Drew Pyne.
Emotions run high in football, and Pyne said after the game against Cal that he didn’t have a problem with the interaction. Still, the video of Rees chewing out Pyne on NBC’s telecast of the game went viral. Although Rees cannot be heard in the clip, it doesn’t take a master lip-reader to determine that the assistant coach yelled, “Do your f—— job” at the QB via phone from the press box.
Now, Rees is providing some context around the situation and admits he regrets his choice of words.
“Certain guys need certain types of coaching in certain moments,” Rees told reporters Wednesday, per Mike Berardino of the South Bend Tribune. “I’m not proud of the language I used, but I know with Drew, he seeks out and can handle tough coaching and the things that light a fire and create a sense of urgency.”
Ultimately, the Fighting Irish outlasted the Golden Bears, 24-17, after a heart-stopping final play. The win allowed Notre Dame to avoid an 0-3 start and provided Marcus Freeman with his first victory as head coach.
It can be dubious to confuse correlation with causation. But, for what it’s worth, Pyne performed much better after the animated pep talk from Rees.
Before the first-quarter conversation, Pyne completed 3 of 6 passes for 19 yards. After the call, Pyne went 14-of-17 for 131 yards and two touchdown passes.
The Fighting Irish look to even their record when they play at North Carolina on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET.
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