Minnesota Golden Gopher Coaching Candidate Profile - Marc Trestman
by GopherNation on Oct 20, 2010 12:25 PM CDT
in Gopher Football
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One thing the University of Minnesota is missing is a coaching tree that is rooted in Golden Gopher football. There are very few former players who have been successful coaches at other levels who would love to return home and turn the Golden Gopher program into a winner. Tony Dungy has a Super Bowl ring but he's at a point in his career that he no longer desires a career in coaching. There are other former Gophers out there like Norries Wilson at Columbia and Corey Sauter down at Southwest State, but none are exactly ready to lead a Big Ten program.
One former Gopher and Minnesota native may be a logical choice. Marc Trestman was a Gopher QB for three years and the St. Louis Park native has had some success at various levels of football. As you can see below Trestman has had a lot of experience directing offenses at the NFL level and currently has been very successful in the CFL finishing as they Grey Cup runner-up and champion in his first two seasons.
Playing and Coaching Career
- 1975-77 - University of Minnesota - Quarterback
- 1978 - Minnesota State-Moorehead - Quarterback
- 1981-84 - Volunteer coach and then QB coach at University of Miami
- 1985-86 - RB coach with Minnesota Vikings
- 1987 - QB coach with Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 1988 - QB coach with Cleveland Browns
- 1989 - OC with Cleveland Browns
- 1990-91 - QB coach with Minnesota Vikings
- 1995-96 - OC and QB coach with San Francisco 49ers
- 1997 - QB coach with Detroit Lions
- 1998-00 - OC and QB coach with Arizona Cardinals
- 2001 - QB coach with Oakland Raiders
- 2002-03 - OC with Oakland Raiders
- 2004 - QB and Ast HC with Miami Dolphins
- 2005-06 - OC and QB coach at North Carolina State
- 2008-present - Head Coach with Montreal Alouettes (CFL)
The first is that jumps out on Trestman's coaching resume is that he has never been in the same position for more than three seasons. One thing I'd really like to see with this next hire is a guy who will first of all be successful and secondly will be here for several years and build something. Trestman hasn't shown that anywhere in his long career. On the other hand he was Miami's QB coach as they won a national championship, he was the OC in Cleveland as they went to an AFC Title game, and was the OC for Oakland in 2002 when they represented the AFC in the Super Bowl. Last year he took the Montreal Alouettes to the CFL's Grey Cup Championship.
Why He Fits
Well first and foremost he is one of us. He played for the Gophers for three years and grew up in St. Louis Park. He's from here and possibly would want to return to the U of MN and turn that program into a winner. I don't know if he even wants such a task, but being from here is clearly a reason why he would fit from our perspective. the hpoe is that he'd be a guy who would be successful AND would be a guy who would stick around.
Secondly he has been rather successful as an offensive coordinator at multiple stops and in his brief tenure as a head coach he has been very successful in the CFL. At four NFL stops as coordinator he led offenses on teams that made the playoffs in his first year on the job. He put up big numbers with talented quarterbacks like Steve Young and mediocre quarterbacks like Scott Mitchell. In the CFL Trestman has put up a 37-14 record to date through nearly three seasons. And of course in year two he won the Grey Cup.
There is no doubt that he is a talented offensively minded guy with some impressive seasons as an NFL offensive coordinator. Below is the list of players who had career years with Trestman as their offensive coordinator.
- Jerry Rice - 1995 - 122 receptions, 1848 yards and 15 TDs
- Rich Gannon - 2002 - NFL MVP as a 37 year old vet. Super Bowl runner-up team.
- Webster Slaugher - 1989 - 1,236 yds, only season over 1k yards. AFC runner-up team.
- Eric Metcalf, Derek Loville, Terry Kirby - all were mediocre backs who had their best years under Trestman
And there were others but many are names you'll barely remember. His days in Arizona were not very impressive but he was also a part of the infamous Vince Tobin era and the team's ineptness cannot all be pinned on the offensive coordinator. He also never had a quality running back to work with. In San Fran he was given Derek Loville and Terry Kirby! In Arizona he had Adrian Murrell and then Michael Pittman and Thomas Jones (as a rookie). In Oakland he got the most out of Charlie Garner and Tyrone Wheatley.
In the NFL he was always a bridesmaid, but never a bride. Some of that may be attributed to never being a part of a coaching staff with staying power. Vince Tobin and Bill Callahan were never the answers. George Siefert moved on after the '96 season. He had success as a coordinator but his bosses never seemed to stick around which possibly hindered his upward mobility.
Why He May Not Fit
Well...if this were any other BCS program in the country he wouldn't be on the short or the long list of potential candidates. I don't want to discount his success as a head coach and his offensive abilities but the only reason he's getting serious consideration is because he is one of us.
Trestman earned the #1 ranking on FBT's NOT-list.
Furthermore, you’d think that a coach so highly regarded, especially one that local yokels had pegged to return to the U for years, would have made his mark in the college or pro ranks much earlier than he has. But no, Trestman has not. Instead, the handful of loud Trestman backers still insist he’s the right man for the job, despite only 4 years of FBS experience in a 30 year coaching career – and mediocre to bad results from said 4 years at that.
I think one of the biggest concerns with Trestman is his lack of any real recruiting experience. As mentioned above Trestman has over a 30 year coaching career and spent only 4 of those at a BCS school. I'm sure he is familiar with the recruiting game but he has absolutely no track record of success or nearly enough experience to show that he's capable of getting it figured out. This would be a major concern. Yesterday I said Kevin Sumlin would have to come in with a rock-solid defensive plan. Marc Trestman would have to sell his plan to recruit.
A concern may also be the fact that he was never given a chance to lead a team in the NFL. If he was such an brilliant coaching mind then why was he never given that opportunity? That may be a concern for some, but sometimes it comes down to circumstances. NFL head coaching jobs are not an easy thing to get. There are so few openings each year with a lot of qualified coordinators, former head coaches and college head coaches all yearning for those precious few jobs. This isn't a huge concern for me.
My final concern is that his limited exposure to NCAA football would therefore give him limited exposure to highly qualified assistants for NCAA football. Considering he's been in the NFL for the vast majority of his career would mean he absolutely needs talented assistants to help him coach college level athletes. And more importantly to help him recruit college athletes. If Trestman were hired I would watch very intently at who he brings in to run his offense, defense and the recruiting experience of all his assistants.
TDG Approval
Experience - B+
Proven Winner - B-
Minn/B10 Ties - A-
Recruiting - incomplete
Trestman is an interesting candidate. Looking at his resume on paper he has ties to Minnesota, his resume demonstrates offensive success as a coordinator and success as a head coach. The being from here is important not from the perspective that he "gets us" or that we'll all feel better having someone who is "one of us," but this guy would have a chance at staying here for a while. If he has any sustained success he's not going to be looking at that next SEC opening. There isn't another "dream job" out there for him other than maybe an NFL head job, but that really doesn't seem likely. Some success and continuity is ideal for Gopher fans (yes I want my cake and I want to eat it to).
On the other hand the reality that if he was not from here he wouldn't be a candidate is what matters most. We need to hire a guy that people recognize. Someone that other schools would attempt to hire. Someone who can energize the program and the fan base by name recognition alone. We all remember when Tubby Smith was hired and season tickets were being sold left and right the day it was announced. We are not likely to hire a guy quite that energizing, but we can try. In the end if Trestman gets the job it better be only because several others turned it down first. I can live with Trestman but I think the fan base will greet him with a collective yawn while the rest of the conference would remain confident that Minnesota will continue to toil in sub .500 conference seasons.
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No.
Everyone fails. The successful learn from their failures. I just wish we'd quit giving ourselves so many learning opportunities.
by WhiteSpeedReceiver on Oct 20, 2010 12:27 PM CDT reply actions
He looks more like an accountant than a football coach
Not that his appearance should exclude him; just making an observation.
agreed
what you say here can, and will, be used against you The Daily Gopher
by GopherNation on Oct 20, 2010 1:13 PM CDT up reply actions
Accountants make great football coaches
Great attention to detail, the ability to quickly and accurately identify tendencies and exploitable weaknesses.
Not only that, but we’re smarter and more humble than everyone else, too.
Everyone fails. The successful learn from their failures. I just wish we'd quit giving ourselves so many learning opportunities.
by WhiteSpeedReceiver on Oct 20, 2010 1:18 PM CDT up reply actions
I'd be OK with Trestman, that's it.
In other words, though he is definitely a competent football coach, there are other folks I’d prefer. I put him in the same camp as Scott Linehan. I respect both of those guys, but really prefer other folks like Brent Venables, Dave Doeren, Leslie Frazier, Kevin Sumlin… even Leach.
for the record
if I didn’t explicitly say it, I am not a fan of Trestman getting the job. Would he be better than a TE coach with no experience? YES. But I sure hope we are aiming higher than this.
what you say here can, and will, be used against you The Daily Gopher
his name has come up
some boosters are strongly in his corner so it was worth profiling. I’m not just profiling my favorites (in fact I haven’t gotten to my favs yet).
what you say here can, and will, be used against you The Daily Gopher
by GopherNation on Oct 20, 2010 1:23 PM CDT up reply actions
please hurry
as i’m getting depressed!! Great job by the way, but the grading marks on Trestman are like the ivy league (where the avg. student has a 3.4 GPA)
You have to be kidding me
I know the program has fallen to almost all time Lows (and that is saying something) but having to pull a coach from the CFL? We are still a Big 10 school.
We took a flyer on the Brewcrew, let’s at least limit to a College Football Head Coach (or assistant at major D1 college) or to an NFL Head Coach (or assistant).
This would be an ALL TIME low
Why is a CFL head coach so bad?
In particular, one that achieved the pinnacle of success? If we are going just off experience, a head coach in the CFL has better experience than a coordinator at any level.
The job of a head coach is managing people and managing the game. The former is the most difficult part. The job of the head coach isn’t X’s and O’s—that is up to the coordinators (of course the HC as some say). The head coach has to make sure the coordinators and all of the other coaches are doing their jobs (which a big part is also managing people), that players and coaches are in positions to succeed, and that people are influenced by your leadership (this is also vital to recruiting). If you are good at managing, leading, and influencing people, you will succeed.
Brewster was awful at the managing and leading part, but very good at the influencing part. If Trestman can succeed in the CFL, those skills are very translatable to the NCAA. The head coaching position is not about offense or defense or schemes and systems, it is about managing people. The head coach cannot do everything himself, and really does NONE of it himself. He inspires, leads, manages, and influences others to carry out his vision.
This is not to say that a high school coach has better experience than a coordinator in college/NFL. The types of people you have managed is also important—i.e. managing a road construction crew isn’t the same as managing executives of a corporation.
Managing the game is the easy part. Any 12 year old that plays NCAA football on PS/3 can do that. You don’t hire for that skill.
Sorry Rencito but I've got to disagree
To say that head coach of a CFL team has better experience than a coordinator at any level, sorry but that’s an crazy statement. And I mean crazy. If that was the case, than the CFL would be the breeding ground for the next set of NFL and major College Football head coaches.
The fact is, it is not and the CFL is a joke, a punchline. So, on this case, we disagree as you completely lost me at “CFL has better experience than a coordinator at any level”. But at the end of the day we ALL want the same thing, to see the gophers back! However, we disagree on the merritt of the CFL head coach.
I think they are undervalued assets
I’m not comparing the NFL to the CFL. I’m comparing the skills of a head football coach in the CFL to that of coordinators in the NFL and NCAA. My argument is that they arguably have better skill sets and could do a better job in many instances than a lot of other guys that are considered.
I’m not saying Trestman is the guy, but to dismiss him automatically because he is in the CFL is myopic.
I've already stated that Trestman isn't my guy, but...
Marv Levy, Mike Riley, Bud Grant were all head coaches in The CFL, so let’s not rule any candidate out just because they made a stop in Canada. Trestman had the credentials before he went to The CFL and those haven’t gone away just because he’s gone up to Canada.
If Trestman was a long-time middling coach in the CFL with no legit experience in NCAA or NFL, then I could see that argument. But that’s not the case with Trestman, so I don’t think he should be called a joke because of his current position.
The CFL is not a joke
Watch the CFL sometime. It’s good pro football. That being said, if Trestman wanted this job, he should’ve taken it back in the 90’s.
by Evel Knievel on Oct 20, 2010 3:07 PM CDT up reply actions
It's got nothing to do with the CFL for me.
What it does have to do with is experience with the recruiting merry-go-round that is NCAA football. I want a guy who knows it inside out,even though a lot of what’s done by the head coach is delegated. I do not want any room for excuses this time around. I want as close to a sure thing the Gopher program can hire,and I don’t think Trestman fits that criteria. For that matter,in this regard,neither does Tony Dungy.
Wow
If you don’t think Dungy wouldn’t be close to a sure thing. Obviously, he wouldn’t do well if he doesn’t want to coach. But if he did want the job, I don’t know how you can question his abilities.
Secondly—we aren’t going to get a sure thing. Even if there were any such thing, they would already have a job and be paid appropriately.
Third—a sure thing coach would want a sure thing program. We are far from that. It is delusional to think we are going to get someone who doesn’t have his share of blemishes or gaps on his resume.
It’s very easy to question Dungy’s abilities in this context. He’s never been a collegiate head coach and there’s no reason to assume he’d be a particularly good one. Bill Walsh (BILL F’ING WALSH) was only 17-17-1 at Stanford after he’d finished his NFL coaching career (34-24-1 overall in college). I know the Dungy love around these here parts is strong, but come on.
There is plenty of reason to assume he would be good
He turned around the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from laughing stock to Super Bowl contender.
His name, experience and his mentoring style of leadership would be huge in recruiting.
The coaching part is easier in college—you have real authority over the players.
There are a lot more pluses than minuses here. In fact, I see no minuses (provided he WANTS to coach). Not having coached a down at the D1 level is like saying Kevin Durant wouldn’t be any good in the NBADL because he has never played in the D League.
No,it isn't
Not even close. You are comparing 2 different animals. As Erik T has stated,success as a professional level in no way guarantees an equal degree of success at another level. What Dungey did as a professional head coach has a very different job description than what would be required of him as a collegiate head coach. A college professor could be viewed as having a higher status than a high school teacher,but that doesn’t automatically ensure the professor’s ability to teach high school. Just the way I choose to look at it,I guess,but it’s my opinion,and I’m keepin’ it.
Hiring 101
You don’t look at what a guy has done, you look at skill sets. It’s just a lazy practice to focus solely on experience and make assumptions like this. So unless, we get a proven college coach, the hire wouldn’t fit your criteria? Even if you hired an experienced college assistant, you’d be taking a leap faith about a candidates ablity as a program administrator.
There’s always gonna be a gap the resume unless you get Nick Saban to come here. That’s why you don’t hire based on a candidate’s resume… you focus on skill sets.
OK. Check the resumes of the Gopher head coach hires of,oh,let's say the last 40 years.
I would have to say the level of success attained as a Gopher HC is very reflective of what success they displayed while coaching elsewhere as a D1 football coach. Minnesota has a history of hiring people who’s expectations are limited,at best. Not many surprises. We got what we thought we were getting. I want a head coach with a proven D1 track record,and I don’t think that’s too much to ask.
Well, according to the last 40 years...
it has been too much to ask. For the record, I agree with you. I just don’t think there’s a chance in Ham Lake that it happens.
Completely agree, foobee
That was my original point at the top of this sub-thread. You hire based on a skill set, and I don’t think there is any doubt Dungy has it.
But let’s (myself included) quit wasting everyone’s time since we all know he isn’t coming here anyways.
"as close to a sure thing" is what I wrote.
By that,I mean a college head coach with a proven track record. Dungy has never coached 1 down of D1 football,and I seem to recall the Gophers having that situation in the recent past.
No,that is what it says it is
I don’t want an unproven D1 coach. Reading is FUNdamental.
Yeah, nice analysis...
…but not the right guy. Keep ’em coming! Well researched and a good read!
Blast from the past!!!! Enjoy the laughs!
I just dug out this email I sent some buddies (my old college roommates) when Brewster was hired. I forget how incensed I was…but remember Coker???? That name has never come up again has it! Anyway, I hate to say I predicted dead last in the Big 10….but enjoy the laughs from this email in 2007.
First, Maturi admitted he had never even heard of Brewster until he interviewed him. Guy not only wasnt on the radar….he didnt exist so far as Maturi knew. As much as we respect the Miami of Ohios and the Rutgers and the Boises…..we arent them! We are a big time program, who should be in the mix every year. There is no reason for Arizona to get a fantastic coaching prospect like Mike Stoops and we go with a kansas retread, then a no name. There is no reason for Rutgers to get Greg Schiano, there is no reason for Louisville to Kragthorpe….Arizona State got Dirk Koetter once, Oregon State got Dennis Erickson, Stanford got Jim Harbaugh. Not all coaching moves work, but there are schools with 1/3 the profile of ours getting more dynamic guys with better coaching credentials. Mason was an excellent coach who couldnt recruit and couldnt motivate. Wacker was a great motivator who couldnt coach. Brewster will be a solid recruiter who cant coach. THAT is my point. Coker would have been perfect. People say, his past sucks. One bad incident? Mason’s players were getting hauled in for horrible things left and right. Every year. Coker has a national title. that is all I need to hear. Mark it down….we will be DEAD LAST in the big ten, no question. Illinois had the #10 recruiting class. Indiana is poised to improve greatly. Iowa jsut signed the best prospect from Iowa in the last ten years. Penn State, Wisc, Mich, OSU will all be ranked. I say, we could sign the #1 prospect in the nation, and it wouldnt do squat to the program. Im a realist. We are a major program stuck in the mud, with horrible people in charge hiring middling candidates to coach. You know who is a great motivator and recruiter? Our defensive coordinator. Why not just hire him? That guy has at least been a defensive coordinator! He has a better resume than Brewster!!!! My point is, sometimes you dont have to see the results to know when something stinks. All I hear is people getting excited because its new, and different. Thats not enough for me…..
Basketball?????
When are we going to start previewing stuff for basketball? First exhibition is only two weeks away. As exciting as the prospects for another failed coaching search is, I wouldn’t mind focusing on the positives of the Gopher Athletics Program.
patience tt20
I cannot wait for basketball but with the conversation and traffic that is being generated by the coaching search I cannot ignore it.
what you say here can, and will, be used against you The Daily Gopher
by GopherNation on Oct 20, 2010 4:25 PM CDT up reply actions
Fair enough
But I got a fever and the only prescription is more Gopher basketball ha
2 years of coaching (and recruiting) at the college level?
I’m not sold on shelling out money for a Mike Sherman like (very successful in the NFL, limited experience in the college ranks in the previous 15 years) kind of coach.
If we’re hiring from the NFL (or CFL) i’d like to see more experience in the college ranks (and by experience i’m talking about head coaching or coordinating, that excludes brewster), Trestman seems like a nice guy, but I think we can do better.
Darren Doogie Wolfson on his twitter said "a person in the now told him Trestman will ultimately get the job"
http://twitter.com/#!/DarrenWolfson
Not sure how that could be
A new coach will not be hired until after the season.
Secondly, this is a job at a public institution. I believe it is mandated that there be a public posting of the job as well as interviewing all qualified candidates. That takes time.
No decision could possibly be made this quickly.
agreed
this is not the first nor will it be the last person who indicates that they have a source telling them anything definitive.
what you say here can, and will, be used against you The Daily Gopher
by GopherNation on Oct 20, 2010 9:11 PM CDT up reply actions
However, it’s nice to know what sources we can ignore going forward. Looks like Wolfson is one of them! FWIW, aforementioned Twitter account makes no such claim at this moment. Perhaps something was deleted.
Doogie's track record...
As annoying as that dude is, his track record on this stuff is actually halfway decent.
I’d actually be OK (just OK) with Trestman. I sure wish we hired him last time, thuogh I’m shooting for more this time around. I actually have faith in his ability as a program administrator and his Xs and Os. Let’s face it, he’d be our OC as well, right? So I would like that he’d probably hire a smart, young OC which would mean we’d have some coaching stability as well.
He doesn’t turn me on at all, but I don’t question Trestman’s competence at all either.
or ignore all of them
nobody knows anything, especially just a few days into the search.
what you say here can, and will, be used against you The Daily Gopher
by GopherNation on Oct 21, 2010 9:05 AM CDT up reply actions
Need Clarification Please...
Is it somebody in the “now”, or in the “know”? That is a very important distinction that will give this story legs or take the legs away….I kid, I kid!!!!
GN, agreed, now starts the annoying LeBron James is going to Chicago no New York no Miami no staying in Cleveland no back to Miami every few hours, a new highly reliable source has the scoop. Unfortunately, everybody becomes irrelevant very quickly in the world of real-time updates and 24 hour communication. If you want to keep people interested, you have to have a story. All the time. You got nothing? Too bad, make something up…just keep the interest there. Keep people clicking…
Cheers y’all. I think Maturi would be lynched if he already selected the coach, as that would mean he couldn’t possibly have done any diligence and any degree of interviews. I don’t expect to hear about the new coach until after league play stops….as the guys I want are all coaching right now! That gives us another month and a half of rumors and nonsense.
For what it's worth...
I’m sure many folks have already read this from the Pioneer Press:
http://www.twincities.com/gophers/ci_16391154
Though you never expect anybody to say anything bad about a candidate in the media, it’s nice to hear some perspective from two guys who know Trestman well.
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