That’s a great story 62, and a major display of professionalism and courtesy on Trestman’s part, 62. He is a real gentleman and has been a great asset for the CFL. If he leaves, I’m sure he will do so with the best wishes of many, many CFL fans.
BTW, it’s been quite a while since a CFL coach has moved directly to a HC position in the NFL… was the last one Frank Kush?
Marv Levy over thirty years ago.
Not quite right. I thought of Levy too, but he left Montreal to take over in Kansas City in 1978. Kush was more recent. He coached Hamilton in 1981, then moved to Baltimore in 1982. I don’t know of one since then. Mike Riley left Winnipeg in about 1990, but had other stops before landing an NFL head coaching job.
He's as good a coach as I've seen in the CFL but this annual uncertainty can't be good for the team or the fans. I'd be tempted to demand a multi-year commitment from Trestman or start looking for or grooming a replacement. As good as he's been for the Als, the team has also been very good to him.
An Argo-Cat fan
Look...I'm an unabashed Chicago Bears fan...
But I have to think that in an obviously offence dominated rules package,a guy like Trestman might be able to help a team like Chicago,if he gets a chance to coach a historic team like The Bears...He's going to go for it...
He’s done some great things for the Als but last season our ST and Defense were the worst they’ve been since the Als have come back in the league in 15 years. His ability to retain people is terrible (Sinclair and Brady leaving for same position elsewhere), his hiring has been spotty (Reinebold,Kent,Tibesar,Sheldon,Bishoff). Complete lack of interest in scouting), the fact he works for the team half the year.
I doubt the Bears are going to offer him a HC job but at this point I would not be surprised to see him accept an OC job in the NFL.
The Alouettes have had a very successful run under Trestman’s tenure. But a very, VERY large part of that success has been due to Anthony Calvillo - a once-in-a-lifetime gift for any head coach. And Trestman has ridden that “horse” to great success but he is astute enough to realize that the horse is now close to being turned out to pasture. There will never be another like him in Trestman’s time and there isn’t an experienced, game-ready successor to Calvillo in the wings. So now would be the opportune time for Trestman to move on while his CFL resume remains relatively unstained and his marketability is probably at it’s peak. In fact, the same rationale may also apply to Jim Popp at this point.
Thank you !
While his self promotion this off season hasn’t mentionned ONE word about AC. Same with Popp. As Trestman becomes talked about the media around the Bears is also starting to dig deeper looking at Trestman’s body of work and they are seeing the same weaknesses in his game as we’ve seen in Montreal. Lack of fire/killer instinct. Poor record in big games, ability to position himself and take over good situations and the question around his ability to put together a staff and keep them.
I’m thinking the Bears job will go to Arians and the Jets GM job will go to Idzyk. Only way Trestman and Popp get the nod is if these teams get turned down by the established NFL candidates.
I’m not so sure that the record for Trestman and Popp in Montreal is unstained, especially lately.
Could not get to the Grey Cup the last couple of years, despite the eastern final being played in their own backyard.
Their defense, the last couple of years, has been vulnerable and leaky.
Their special teams have never been of help to them, in terms of either gaining field position for them or points (on returns).
The coaching staff has had a lot of turnovers, especially the DC.
Not exactly looking stellar.
Perhaps, with Medlock not working out for them, Carolina might have cooled on talent from this league...just an opinion....
There is a lot of risk bringing in a CFL GM for an NFL team. Beside the obvious looking really bad if it does not work out. You will get a backlash from the NFL football people that could extend for years. When you put Popp’s resume next to Gettleman’s it was a no brainer. I have no doubt JIm could do a good job but as an owner I’d demand he prove himself as a DPP before hand.
Hfxtc wrote:
"There is a lot of risk bringing in a CFL GM for an NFL team. Beside the obvious looking really bad if it does not work out. You will get a backlash from the NFL football people that could extend for years. When you put Popp's resume next to Gettleman's it was a no brainer. I have no doubt JIm could do a good job but as an owner I'd demand he prove himself as a DPP before hand."
Other sports league have often brought someone up from a minor league to an important position. The NHL has certainly gone that route with teams bringing up their minor league coaches to anchor the big league bench. I don't recall any backlash in those situations when they've been unsuccessful, other than complaining from the team's fans, and maybe players.
Yes, you're dealing with variances in rules and budget size. Sometimes though, what a team may be seeking is a fresh set of eyes and a new approach rather than recycling the same names and faces, something sports leagues have guilty many times of.
The CFL is not a minor league to the NFL.
Certainly not but the economics of the NFL are 100 folds that of the CFL. Gettleman was a successful personnel guy for 15 years (six Super Bowl appearances teams in 21 years) and this is his first shot at a GM position. He started as a DPP at Popp’s current age (late fourties).
Popp is a great GM but he’s had tremendous support from our owner. He’s competing with teams like the Bombers who don’t have enough money to flesh out their coaching staff. The Als football ops have TEN quality guys and their coaching staff NINE to TEN guys since Trestman has come on board.
What other GM has a guy like Desjardins managing the office and the money ? The only year Jim had to manage the money we went over and lost our draft pick. the only time that’s happened in the CFL. In the NFl he will compete with 27 other teams that have the same means or more than he would. I just don’t see any Owner or board trusting a billion dollar business to a guy who’s only experience is managing a 15 million dollar business. Kind of like the president of MRX becoming the President of Apple…
Exactly. If Popp were willing to cut his teeth as an NFL DPP, he’d have a shot in a few years. But expecting to land a GM position in the NFL directly from the CFL? He’s delusional. Tons of candidates with better resumés and much less risk from an optics standpoint.
"The CFL is not a minor league to the NFL."
And I didn't say it was. The NFL does have much greater exposure, marketing and dollar generation.
For players and management people employed in the CFL, it is considered a step up. I pointed out the NHL example as a means to demonstrate that it is possible for coaches, at least, to move up to a considerable upward position quickly.
If an NFL owner is so concerned about optics and being ridiculed for entertaining such thoughts as bringing in a CFL management person, then why interview them in the first place. Certainly in this age of instant information, the gesture would not remain secret for very long.