Marc Trestman hasn’t coached at the NFL level since 2004. And yet he now finds himself under consideration for multiple NFL head-coaching jobs.
It’s not a complete shock. Last year, the Colts considered both Trestman and his Montreal Alouettes’ boss, G.M. Jim Popp, for the top two vacancies in the Indy organization. This year, the Browns and the Bears are giving Trestman a look-see. (Popp also is on the Jets’ G.M. radar.)
The 57-year-old lawyer-turned-coach has 17 seasons of NFL experience as an assistant, serving as offensive coordinator with the Browns, 49ers, Cardinals, and Raiders. Most recently, Trestman coached the Dolphins’ quarterbacks in 2004.
Trestman has coached in Montreal since 2008, winning a pair of Grey Cups and the CFL’s coach of the year award in 2009. He also has been endorsed by veteran NFL coaches Marv Levy and Bud Grant.
“He’s made all the stops and coached in almost every capacity,” Grant, who coached in the CFL and the NFL, tells the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “We try to make football more complicated than it really is. Coaching is coaching whether it’s here or in Canada. The same principles apply.”
Whoever hires Trestman eventually may have to tackle the Tim Tebow question. Trestman tutored the Jets’ outgoing quarterback-of-all-trades before the 2010 draft, and Trestman’s team currently holds CFL squatting rights on Tebow.
Before that issue even becomes relevant, Trestman needs to get an NFL job. And while he may indeed be the best choice for one of the current vacancies, it’s odd that he continues to draw interest as an NFL head coach but little or no sniffs as a candidate to once again be an NFL offensive coordinator.