Trestman hired by Bears
The Chicago Bears hired Montreal Alouettes coach Marc Trestman on Wednesday to replace the fired Lovie Smith and gave him two basic tasks – get the most out of quarterback Jay Cutler and lead the team to the playoffs on a consistent basis.
It’s not exactly a simple task. But the Bears believe he’s up to it.
It’s the first head coaching job in the NFL for Trestman, a longtime assistant in the league who spent the past five seasons coaching the CFL’s Alouettes and leading them to two Grey Cup titles. Trestman was an offensive coordinator with Cleveland, San Francisco, Arizona and Oakland.
Trestman wasted little time starting to assemble his staff.
A person familiar with the situation said the Bears have hired New Orleans Saints offensive line coach Aaron Kromer as their offensive coordinator, hoping to revive an attack that often sputtered with Mike Tice calling the plays.
Kromer served as the Saints’ head coach for six games this season while interim head coach Joe Vitt was suspended for his role in the bounty scandal. Saints coach Sean Payton had to sit out the year.
“Heard so many GREAT things about Coach Trestman can’t wait to follow his lead,” star receiver Brandon Marshall wrote on Twitter. “Reading his book now.”
Trestman authored “Perseverance: Life Lessons on Leadership and Teamwork,” a motivational biography released in 2010. According to his website, it mixes his philosophies with personal stories that “provide a unique insight into the secrets of his success.”
Around the league
Arizona, one of two NFL teams still looking for a head coach, has interviewed Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and plans to talk to Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians. … Andy Reid is putting the final touches on his first coaching staff in Kansas City, hiring former Jaguars offensive line coach Andy Heck to fulfill the same duty with the Chiefs. … New York Giants QB Eli Manning will replace Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers on the NFC roster for the Pro Bowl. Rodgers dropped out because of knee and ankle issues. … Atlanta is making contingency plans in case DE John Abraham, the NFL’s active sack leader, is unable to play at full capacity in Sunday’s NFC title game against San Francisco. The Falcons are giving reserves Cliff Matthews, Jonathan Massaquoi and Lawrence Sidbury more snaps in practice.