^[1]

New Chicago Bears Head Coach Marc Trestman

By Brandon Reid
Assistant Editor

After interviewing more than a dozen candidates for the Chicago Bears head coaching vacancy, Bears General Manager Phil Emery has settled on Montreal Alouettes coach Marc Trestman. The decision was announced Jan. 16.

Trestman, 57, had a career 59-31 record in five seasons with the Canadian Football League’s Alouettes, including four division titles and two-straight Grey Cup titles in 2009 and 2010, the equivalent of the NFL’s Super Bowl.

Trestman last coached in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins in 2004. From 2001 to 2003, he was the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders, helping guide the team to the Super Bowl in 2002.

Known for his work with quarterbacks such as Bernie Kosar, Scott Mitchell, Jake Plummer and Rich Gannon, Trestman will be charged with getting the most out of Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. Cutler is 34-22 and has an 81.9 quarterback rating in his four seasons with the Bears.

The Bears also hired New Orleans Saints offensive line coach Aaron Kromer as their offensive coordinator Jan. 16.

Trestman becomes the 17th coach in Chicago Bears history, following the Dec. 31 firing of Lovie Smith.

Offensive instability reportedly contributed to the firing of Smith. The Bears finished the 2012 season with the league’s 28th-ranked offense at 310.6 yards per game, and ranked inside the top 20 in the league in total offense only once (15th in 2006) during Smith’s nine years with the team.

At the beginning of the search for a new head coach, Emery said: ‘‘We’re looking for somebody with great organizational skills and administrative skills, along with leadership skills. You have to be thorough, meticulous. … I want somebody that has high energy. I want somebody that has warmth that pulls everybody together, upbeat and positive. I want somebody that’s good on their feet. I want this person to stand up and represent us well.’’

Smith was 81-63 (.563) over nine seasons with the Bears. He had won three division titles, had a 3-3 record in three playoff appearances, and guided the team to two NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl appearance. He was named AP NFL Coach of the Year in 2005.

Despite going 10-6 and boasting the second-highest turnover ratio in the league (plus 20, trailing only New England’s plus 25) in 2012, Smith’s team failed to make the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The Minnesota Vikings’ 37-34 overtime win over the Green Bay Packers Dec. 29 pushed the Vikings’ record to 10-6, and knocked the Bears out of playoff contention.

The Chicago Bears will begin the 2013 regular season Sunday, Sept. 8.

Posted Jan. 16, 2013