Tommy Rees, a polarizing quarterback during his Notre Dame days, is turning to Northwestern, a program that has tormented the Fighting Irish in their last two meetings.

The 22-year-old will join the Northwestern staff as a graduate assistant, a development first reported by Wildcat Digest and later confirmed by the Chicago Tribune and SI.com.

This news comes just four days after word that NU had no plans to change its football staff for the upcoming season.

Indeed, no coaches appear to be getting the axe, and Rees is an intriguing addition.

The former Fighting Irish quarterback, whose dreams of playing in the NFL hit the skids when the Washington Redskins released him in May, is the son of Bill Rees, who started his own coaching career as a graduate assistant at Northwestern from 1976-77. He was an assistant coach the following year and, in a second stint with the school from 2009-2010, was involved with special teams and recruiting for NU.

In part from his lineage, Tommy Rees has a large football IQ. He was a constant target for criticism among the Notre Dame faithful, but as SI’s Brian Hamilton notes, his Xs-and-Os expertise was unquestioned and his teammates never wavered in their respect for Rees even as he oscillated between starter and back-up.

Rees will be a part of a staff that attempts to goad the Cats offense toward prosperity in 2015.

Email: kevincasey2015@u.northwestern.edu