THE ALOUETTES UNDER COACH TRESMTAN

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VETERANS QUENCH GREY CUP THIRST

It appeared the stars were aligned almost from the opening moment. Barely more than two minutes into their opening game, Kerry Watkins made a highlight-reel one-handed catch for a touchdown, and the Alouettes were on their way.

Montreal won its first game, at Calgary against the defending Grey Cup-champion Stampeders, scoring 40 points in the process. The next week at home, the Als put 50 up against the Edmonton Eskimos. Then it was a trip to Regina, and 43 more points against the Roughriders.

But perhaps the foundation to last Sunday's championship win actually came in November 2008, when the Als lost their fifth title game this decade, against the Stamps at Olympic Stadium. That was supposed to be the Als' Cup; the one at home, for all the old guys, especially quarterback Anthony Calvillo, who decided to return only when he was convinced his wife, Alexia, was winning her battle against B-cell lymphoma.

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TRESTMAN WINS OVER SKEPTICAL PLAYERS

Anthony Calvillo got a clue early on that his new coach was going to work out nicely.

Like the rest of the Canadian Football League, the Montreal Alouettes quarterback didn't have a clue about Marc Trestman when the team named him its new head coach prior to the 2008 season, despite having zero experience in the CFL.

"You really didn't know what to expect, to be honest with you," said Calvillo on Saturday. "You get a new coach who comes from down south, and you start reading up on him and see where he's been. But you never really know what to expect until you actually start working with him.

"The one thing that I was excited about was that he called me when he got hired, but he was also in contact with other veteran players like Ben Cahoon and Kerry Watkins as they were developing the playbook. He wanted our input, which was a great sign. To me, it showed that (while) he's new to this league and he had a lot of great credentials, he's open to listening to guys who've been around this league. It set the tone on what type of coach he was going to be."

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TRESTMAN INSTILLED PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE

Anthony Calvillo and Ben Cahoon are surefire CFL Hall of Famers, but on head coach Marc Trestman's watch in Montreal, the longtime Alouettes stars are nothing special.

Oh, Trestman has great respect for the quarterback's passing brilliance and leadership, and for Cahoon's glue-fingered catching skills and toughness. But to Trestman, Calvillo and Cahoon are just part of a richly talented team their coach insists carry itself with humility.

That has nothing directly to do with the 1-5 won-lost record the Alouettes have fashioned in six Grey Cup appearances this decade. It may well have an effect on whether the Alouettes defeat the Saskatchewan Roughriders in yet another Grey Cup go-round for Montreal today at McMahon Stadium.

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DISCIPLINE, DETAILS SHAPE TRESTMAN'S ALOUETTES

A coach can be an amalgam of many things. Some are autocrats who rule with an iron fist, while others are gentler, hoping to generate results with more honey than vinegar.

Perhaps the one thing a coach doesn't want to be called is anal. But on more than one occasion this season, that's how Avon Cobourne assessed Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman.

This week, after the Als had dismantled British Columbia in the East Division final, Cobourne said Trestman never allows his players to disrespect an opponent. "He's very anal about us getting too overconfident."

Trestman probably is well aware of Cobourne's thoughts. He smiled when asked about his take on this when he and Saskatchewan head coach.

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ALOUETTES COACH A STICKLER FOR DETAILS

MONTREAL - Montreal Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman is great when it comes to making first impressions.

When the Alouettes held a press conference to introduce their new coach in January 2008, Trestman's first words to the Montreal media were: ``Je m'appelle Marc Trestman.''

Smart move.

But the lasting first impression I have of Trestman came five months later, when the Alouettes opened training camp. One of the first things Trestman had his team practise was how to line up properly for the pre-game national anthem: helmet off, standing on the sidelines at attention.

I wasn't the only one who took notice of what seems like a simple thing.

``For sure, I noticed that,'' former Alouette and CFL Hall of Famer Peter Dalla Riva, a proud Canadian, recalled Thursday. ``I don't care wherever you are . . . when you are in someone else's country, you have to have respect for the national anthem and the flag. It's a sign of respect, and you hope that they return their respect when they come to your country.

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COACH TRESTMAN HAS TEAM MOVING AT HIGH SPEED

MONTREAL — B.C. Lions coach Wally Buono was widely acknowledged as the best there is in Canada in getting the most out of every minute of football practice. However, Marc Trestman, the second-year head coach of the Montreal Alouettes, may have taken daily training to a whole new level in the contemporary CFL.

Friday's Alouettes workout at Olympic Stadium was choreographed with almost military precision, with players moving through drills in double-quick time as if cadets on a parade ground. No one does a better job of preparing his team for game speed, and the Alouettes' franchise-best record of 15-3 is prove of that.

"He doesn't want you to think, he just wants you to go," says 13-year veteran centre Bryan Chiu, who has been coached by Dave Ritchie, Charlie Taaffe, Rod Rust, Don Matthews, Jim Popp and now Trestman. "It [his practices] all looks so hectic and crazy. I takes some getting used to. But when you play a game, it all slows down for us. It's such a productive way to practise."

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TRESTMAN DESERVES TICKET FROM CFL TO NFL

Attention, disgruntled football fans. Looking for a new head coach? There are plenty of qualified candidates out there, sitting by the phone. Mike Holmgren is one. Mike Shanahan is another. Jon Gruden. Bill Cowher. Brian Billick.

Nobody slips through the cracks, only I guarantee somebody does. And that somebody is Marc Trestman.

Could Marc Trestman, here with Jerry Rice, wind up with another go-round with the hurting Raiders? (Getty Images)
Yep, that Marc Trestman. He couldn't get a sniff at a head-coaching job in this country, so he went to Canada and took over the Montreal Alouettes. So what? So this: He had the Alouettes in the Grey Cup in his first season and now has them poised to return, with a CFL-best 13-2 record. This time, though, the Alouettes should win because this time they're better than everyone else.

That's a credit to a lot of people, including the team's general manager Jim Popp. He had the guts to hire Trestman when others would not. But mostly it's a credit to Trestman, who proved he has what it takes to be a successful head coach. All he needed was a chance. Popp and owner Robert Wetenhall gave it to him, and the results have been so overwhelming that Montreal must wonder when the NFL lures him back across the border.

If it's smart, it will

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ALIGNING THE STARS

MONTREAL - Is there anyone out there – other than those who have their paycheques signed by the Alouettes – who honestly believed this team would be 6-3 midway through the regular season, one of only three Canadian Football League clubs with at least that many victories?

Not only did the Als appear to be rebuilding after struggling to an 8-10 record in 2007, along with an opening-round playoff elimination, but there were many questions – and few answers – heading into training camp, including:

* How was quarterback Anthony Calvillo going to fare approaching his 36th birthday and coming off a year in which he dealt with injuries and personal problems?

* Did an aging and ridiculed offensive line have anything left?

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ROOKIE TRESTMAN TO LEADS ALS IN GREY CUP VICTORY

MONTREAL - Marc Trestman had never paid any mind to the Canadian Football League until his brief visit to the Montreal Alouettes training camp in 2007.

A year later, the Minneapolis native who had worked for seven NFL clubs over the past 23 years was back as head coach of a Montreal team that had gone a dismal 8-10 and been run out of the first round of playoffs with general manager Jim Popp doing double duty as coach.

Now, after an 11-7 rookie season, Trestman has a chance to win the Grey Cup when the Alouettes take on the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL championship game before more than 60,000 at Olympic Stadium on Sunday (6 p.m. ET).

"Jim invited me up and I got a chance to see the game for three days, to visit the players and be in the team meetings," Trestman recalled on Thursday. "I liked the players a lot.

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FIRST-YEAR COACH PROVING HE'S WELL-SUITED FOR CFL
By Eric Francis, Sun Media

MONTREAL -- Wearing a suit and tie that somewhat overshadowed the more casual attire of John Hufnagel, Marc Trestman was asked at yesterday's coaches' press conference what their garb said about their approaches.

"What it says is I don't listen to my wife," jumped in Hufnagel, the Calgary Stampeders head coach who opted for the t-shirt/jacket combo.

"What it says is I listen to my wife," added Trestman.

"That's the only difference. This is the only suit I own and I'm wearing it for the second time."

Both armed with decades of top-notch coaching experience, the two men guiding squads into Sunday's Grey Cup entered their first season as CFL head coaches this year under radically different circumstances.

Hufnagel was welcomed with open arms due to his success as an offensive wiz with Calgary in the '90s and his experience with high profile studs in the NFL.

Trestman, on the other hand, was met in Montreal with plenty of skepticism as he arrived with no CFL experience whatsoever.

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KINDLY LEADER
by Herb Zurkowsky, The Gazette
Published: Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Marc Trestman used a bad word last weekend. And he can't deny it, since it was caught by a television camera and posted on a network's website.

The Alouettes had just defeated the Edmonton Eskimos in the East Division final, clinching a berth in Sunday's Grey Cup against Calgary. Before Trestman presented the game balls, he praised his team for working their "asses" off. Then, just as quickly, he apologized for his language.

Imagine that, a football coach regretting the use of foul language. What's the world coming to?

"I don't think a football coach is identified by his language. And you don't need (that kind of) language to express yourself," he said yesterday. "I'm not suggesting I don't use foul language; I do. But in the right environment."

Such is the essence of Trestman, Montreal's rookie head coach who inherited a team that went 8-10 last season under another rookie coach, Jim Popp, clearly in over his head before returning to his rightful place, managing the club. Although Trestman had no head coaching experience, never having worked a day in the Canadian Football League, he guided the Als to first place, along with 12 victories to date. Either he or his Stampeders' counterpart, John Hufnagel, will be named the league's coach of the year this winter, likely based on the championship game result. But Trestman already has been named the outstanding coach by the league's players' association.

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DUNIGAN: MY TAKE ON THINGS IN THE EAST


Oct. 7, 2008

Anthony Calvillo has looked Father Time in the face and said "F-Off, not today; not this year!"

A.C. has been stimulated by new head coach Marc Trestman and his offensive mind. A.C. has been locked into the new offensive system of Trestman's and is playing some of his best football. Can you say MOP? Anthony is not the only one benefiting from Trestman's arrival. The offensive line has done a 180 this season, from giving up 68 sacks last season to allowing the fewest this year. Obviously, protection and QB production go hand-in-hand, but this has been a remarkable turnaround and extremely entertaining to watch this season.

You can see conviction when Anthony is throwing the football. That is confidence which comes from understanding and belief in a system. The detail in preparation is translating to the field and there is no indecision or hesitation. The combination of Calvillo's experience and ability along with Trestman's offensive philosophy has been special in '08, allowing A.C. to put up numbers such as last week's. 44-53-472-4-1. The 44 completions are an all-time CFL record for most completions in a game. My arm was sore just watching him and had to be iced down after the broadcast on TSN.

Confident and poised, A.C. is giving CFL fans across the country a rare treat, an opportunity to view greatness. History and the record books will reflect only a small fraction of the wonderment we are witnessing. Get out to the ball park or watch our TSN broadcasts and enjoy this while you can!

My Take: Keep Calvillo healthy! Now that the Als have clinched first place, the difficult task of finding a balance in playing time for starters and backups begins. Marcus Brady has rarely seen the field this season and needs reps within Trestman's complicated system. It's paramount for Brady to get some quality reps down the stretch for his own development, the Als' future and the present. We don't want to see a repeat of the 2004 scenario with Ted White. The #3 QB Adrian McPherson has been very productive in his short-yardage role in '08. He's obviously an athletic QB whose value may be difficult to assess, but no question he has saved on some serious wear and tear for Calvillo in these situations.

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09/09/08: Trestman commands Al's respect

09/08/08: Als look unbeatable in East

09/02/08: Aligning the stars

09/01/08: Alouettes have a gem in Trestman

08/29/08: Trestman, Levy cut from same cloth

08/17/08: Surprising Als earn week of rest

06/20/08: Life as head coach? For Trestman, all's well with Als in CFL

06/02/08: Trestman takes long road to CFL
 

Al's owner has good feeling about new coach


Jan. 29, 2008

Montreal Alouettes owner Robert Wetenhall admits he has taken a risk with the hiring of Marc Trestman -- devoid of Canadian Football League and head-coaching experience. But Wetenhall said he had a good feeling about Trestman from their first meeting, and remains confident he and the team will prosper this season.

"I've put my reputation behind (Trestman). I've put it out there," Wetenhall said. "I would bet my judgment on Trestman. It didn't take me more than 15 minutes to make up my mind."

Trestman, who has a wealth of experience at the National Football League and NCAA university level, was named the Als' 19th head coach on Dec. 18. Trestman's hiring was in sharp contrast to the decision, one year earlier, to allow general manager Jim Popp to remain Montreal's coach after he replaced Don Matthews in October 2006.

On that occasion, no other candidates were interviewed. The Als slumped to 8-10 -- their only losing record since the franchise returned to Montreal in 1996. Popp has now returned to his GM and director of player personnel roles, while the club has rehired former Hamilton GM Marcel Desjardins as his assistant.

Wetenhall was actively involved in the extensive interview process this time, talking to at least 12 candidates. He met Trestman twice -- first for more than two hours and then for seven hours a week later at the owner's downtown condo.

Wetenhall said he was impressed by Trestman's sense of quality and standards.

"He talked about players and not himself," Wetenhall remembered. "One of the most interesting things he said was that he evaluates players' character and integrity. Down the list were athletic skills. It fascinated me.

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Humble Trestman perfect fit for Als
 

Jan. 10, 2008

Since this seems to be nostalgia week around here, we'll go back to 1970 by way of introducing the Alouettes' new head coach.

That was the year a chap named Freeman White came to Canada to play for the Ottawa Rough Riders. This, I thought, should be some show: White had been an All-American wide receiver for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He was a senior when I was a freshman at Nebraska, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound pass-snagger to make pro scouts drool.

White was drafted by the New York Giants and spent four years in New York before ending up in Ottawa. When I saw that he was playing in the CFL, I thought White would light it up.

One season, and he was gone.

White, of course, was neither the first nor the last of many: Americans who come up here from the NFL or from big college football programs thinking they will show this little league a thing or two. More often than not, they get their comeuppance in a hurry. Think of Vince Ferragamo, another former Husker who had gone to a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams. With the Alouettes, Ferragamo flamed out in spectacular fashion.

Point is, if you come to the CFL thinking it's a bush league that you're going to dazzle with your big-time American talent, you're going to get burned. The CFL, as too many athletes and coaches learn the hard way, is a terrific and highly competitive league in terms of its players' athleticism and the pressure to win. If it's somehow lesser than the NFL (and I'm not convinced it is) it is by degrees so slight they are all but imperceptible.

That's why, if Marc Trestman didn't quite march the Alouettes downfield for a touchdown in his first Montreal outing yesterday, he did at least move his team into scoring position: He was humble. He indicated a boundless willingness to learn.

And he won, I suspect, more than a few friends while he was being introduced as head coach of the Als yesterday. For a guy who was all but counted out within moments of his hiring three weeks ago, that was quite a feat.

"If you aren't humble," Trestman said, "if you aren't ready to work hard, this game will eat you alive. You have to be hard-working and you have to be humble. And you have to treat the players and all employees with respect."

So here's the skinny on the new guy: He's tall, lean, highly intelligent and articulate. He has a beautiful wife. He has a portfolio many football coaches would die for, even if things have been a bit rough for him of late. And I am not just saying these things because he has a law degree and might sue me if I don't.

Above all, he doesn't suffer from that Arrogant American syndrome. He's humble, and in the end that might take him farther than all the rest of it.

"I'm glad I'm not a defensive coordinator in the CFL," Trestman said, "where the field is 53 per cent larger and you have only one more guy to cover it and all that motion."

Because the CFL is unique and because Trestman acknowledged that his strength is on offence, one of the first tasks he faces is to find a defensive coordinator to replace Chris Jones, who left for Calgary. The Alouettes also announced yesterday that Scott Milanovich, after one season with the Als as quarterbacks coach, will become the offensive coordinator - replacing the departed Marcel Bellefeuille - and that Vince Martino will be the offensive-line coach after winning the World Bowl as head coach of the NFL Europe Hamburg Sea Devils.

But Trestman is the man of the hour. If he has a weakness, it is that he has not spent time on the sidelines in the CFL, apart from a brief visit to the Als training camp last spring. But yesterday, you could see the qualities that persuaded the Alouettes to hire him over a long list of candidates with CFL experience.

First, there's the résumé: He has worked with some of the best people in the game, starting at the University of Minnesota, where he was the backup quarterback to a guy named Tony Dungy. He was quarterbacks coach for the Miami Hurricanes in 1983 when (we painfully remember) the 'Canes defeated the 'Huskers 31-30 in the Orange Bowl.

The next year, with Trestman still as his coach, Bernie Kosar set school records for pass completions, passing yards and touchdowns.

When Bud Grant came out of retirement in 1985, he hired Trestman for his staff. Four years later, Trestman was named offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns, going back to work with Kosar. In 1995, he was hired by George Seifert as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the San Francisco 49ers.

He also worked as coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals before becoming the senior offensive assistant to Jon Gruden with the Oakland Raiders. When Gruden left, Bill Callahan made Trestman his offensive coordinator and the team went to the Super Bowl, where they lost to Gruden's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Most recently, Trestman was the offensive coordinator at North Carolina State before the entire coaching staff was let go.

If there's an alarm bell on the résumé, it's that Trestman hasn't stayed anywhere that long, but assistant coaches rarely do, and the trend seems to be downward of late, but that's the nature of the game: You have to find a situation that suits you, an owner who believes in you. The good part is that with all the names on his résumé, Trestman could come on like the reincarnation of Vince Lombardi. He doesn't, and that will give him a chance to succeed.

Obviously, Bob Wetenhall believes in Trestman. After some of the things he said yesterday, his players should, too. And Trestman emphasized that he wants to work with the media and with the community, which means he's already a far cry from Don Matthews.

His first words to Montreal were: "Je m'appelle Marc Trestman."

This guy is going to succeed with the Alouettes. You read it here first.

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Trestman names his offensive assistants
 

Jan. 9, 2008

Scott Milanovich and Vince Martino received new jobs titles as the revamping of the Montreal Alouettes' coaching staff continued on Wednesday.

Milanovich was promoted to offensive co-ordinator, while the team named Martino the new offensive line coach.

Trestman was not able to attend a news conference announcing his hiring due to a family medical emergency involving his father.

Milanovich spent four years in NFL Europe, including two as offensive co-ordinator, before spending last season as the Alouettes' quarterback coach.

Milanovich was a quarterback during his playing days, with stops in the NFL, NFL Europe, Arena Football League, XFL and CFL's Calgary Stampeders.

Martino was offensive line coach with the Hamburg Sean Devils, who won the NFL Europe championship last season.

Trestman Named new coach of Montreal Alouettes
 

Dec. 18, 2007

Official release, Montreal - Montreal Alouettes’ owner, Mr. Bob Wetenhall, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Larry Smith, and Vice President and General Manager, Mr. Jim Popp, announced today that Marc Trestman has been named the team’s new head coach.

“We have conducted a thorough interview process with about 10 potential candidates and we feel very confident that we have made the ideal choice for the future of our franchise,” said Mr. Smith. “Marc Trestman has an impressive track record, mostly at the NFL level. We believe he will be able to bring great leadership skills and knowledge to our league and take the Alouettes back to the standard to which our fans are accustomed, and to our ultimate objective which is the Grey Cup.”

Trestman comes from the NFL where he has served as an offensive coordinator for four different teams – the Cleveland Browns, the San Francisco 49ers, the Arizona Cardinals and the Oakland Raiders, leading each to the playoffs in his first season. He has coached with NFL legends Bud Grant, Georges Seifert and Jon Gruden, and worked closely with superstars Bernie Kosar, Steve Young, Jerry Rice and Rich Gannon.

In addition to great years with Young and Rice with the 49ers, his best season came in 2002, with Gannon, as the Raiders went to the Super Bowl and Gannon was named the league MVP, setting several offensive records along the way. Trestman attended the Alouettes’ 2007 training camp as a guest coach and served as a consultant to the New Orleans Saints’ head coach, Sean Payton.

Trestman will choose and announce his assistants after the holidays.

Click Here for the Press Briefing on the hiring of Marc Trestman

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Demeanor, reaching out to others important in any career, former football coach says

Former college and professional football coach Marc Trestman said a positive attitude, personal confidence and being involved in the lives of other people are traits that have been helpful to him throughout his career during a visit with Professor Steve Friedland's Evidence class Sept. 4.

"The most important word in anybody's vocabulary should be demeanor," said Trestman, who earned a law degree from the University of Miami before a 23-year coaching career spent mostly in the National Football League. "People are going to judge you when you walk into a room on how you carry yourself."

Trestman's visit was part of the National Mentors Program with Elon's Center for Engaged Learning in the Law (CELL). In this new program, mentors work with small groups of students to enhance their work in law school and later as practicing attorneys.

Trestman was offensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders. He has coached in a Super Bowl and two AFC championship games. As a quarterbacks coach in the NFL, Trestman has worked with notable quarterbacks Steve Young, Jake Plummer and Rich Gannon.

As a coach, he said he did not begin to truly grow in the profession until he understood that coaching was more than "just seeing the players as chess pieces and putting them in the right position to win. You have to get to know them, understand them, ask them about their families and mean it. When I learned (coaching) was really about relationships, that's when I started to get it."

There are no coincidences in life, Trestman said, noting that the contacts he made in various coaching jobs helped him land other jobs later on. "Don't live in a box. Reach out and embrace anybody who comes into your life, because you never know where it will lead."

Trestman began his coaching career at the University of Miami, coaching star quarterbacks Bernie Kosar and Vinnie Testaverde as the Hurricanes won the 1983 national championship and played in the 1984 Fiesta Bowl. He also spent the 2005 and 2006 seasons as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at NC State University. Trestman currently writes a weekly scouting column for SI.com and is doing consulting work with the New Orleans Saints.

Leaders in the law, business and a variety of other fields will visit the Elon law school as part of the National Mentors Program. Future visitors include the Honorable Mozelle Thompson, former deputy assistant secretary of the Treasury who later served as the second African American commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission, and San Diego attorney Michael Shames, director of the Utility Consumer Action Network and author of a book, “The World’s Greatest Consumer.”
 

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