The Canadian Football League — a fertile ground for NFL talent! The Chicago Bears really hit one out of the park the way only the Chicago Bears can do. They hired Montreal Alouettes’ coach Marc Trestman to replace the disposed Lovie Smith, today.
Let’s forget for a second that he looks like an Aids patient and look at the Marc Trestman resume.
Age: 57
Coaching career
1981–84 — University of Miami (volunteer coach/quarterbacks coach)
1985–86 — Minnesota Vikings (running backs coach)
1987 — Tampa Bay Buccaneers (quarterbacks coach)
1988-1989 — Cleveland Browns (quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator)
1990–91 — Minnesota Vikings (quarterbacks coach)
1995–96 — San Francisco 49ers (offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach)
1997 — Detroit Lions (quarterbacks coach)
1998-00 — Arizona Cardinals (offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach)
2001-03 — Oakland Raiders (quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator)
2004 — Miami Dolphins (assistant head coach)
2005–06 — North Carolina State (offensive coordinator)
2008–12 — Montreal Alouettes (head coach)
* / denotes a promotion, “and” denotes a dual role
College
Minnesota and Minnesota State
University of Miami School of Law
Awards and Achievements
2009 CFL Coach of the Year
2010 Grey Cup Champion (CFL)
2009 Grey Cup Champion (CFL)
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Trestman was on no one’s head coaching radar except the Bears’.
Once considered one of the top offensive minds in the NFL and a future head coach, Trestman more or less got pushed out of the league after his 2004 stint with the Dolphins.
Why? We can’t really say, but you can bet he never figured he’d end up coaching in the CFL.
The message is certainly clear though. The Bears wanted an offensive guy and they got an offensive guy. Trestman is known for his work with quarterbacks — he even tutors draft-eligible quarterbacks in the offseason — and the Bears expect him to elevate Jay Cutler‘s play.
Trestman has had plenty of success with quarterbacks — guys like Bernie Kosar, Steve Young, Jake Plummer and Rich Gannon. Hell, he even made Scott Mitchell look pretty good that one year in Detroit. Still, you have to wonder, why has this guy bounced around so much?
His longest NFL stint was three years. Additionally, Trestman hasn’t been in the league for eight years.
Some might wonder if the NFL game has passed him by.
For now, we’re going to enjoy a hearty laugh at the Bears’ expense. Who knows though. Maybe this is just the brilliant hire they needed.