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Marc Trestman

(1956 - )

Marc Trestman is a former football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL) and the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is currently the head coach of the Chicago Bears in the NFL.

Trestman (born January 15, 1956) was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota where he graduated from St. Louis Park High School in 1974. He went on to play quarterback for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers football team for three seasons before transferring as a senior to play quarterback at Moorhead State. Trestman returned to Minnesota to finish school and received a bachelor's degree in political science in 1979. He is also a graduate of the University of Miami School of Law and has been a member of the Florida bar since 1983.

In the late 1970's, Trestman went to training camp with the Minnesota Vikings as a defensive back though he never made the regular season roster. In 1981, Trestnan began his coaching career with the University of Miami in 1981 as a volunteer coach. In 1983, he was named quarterbacks coach and that year Miami quarterback Bernie Kosar passed for 2,329 yards and led Miami to the national championship. The next year Kosar completed 262 passes for 3,642 yards, both school records.

Trestman's career then moved to the NFL when he became running backs coach with the Minnesota Vikings in 1985 and 1986. In 1987, Trestman became quarterbacks coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers then took the same position with the Cleveland Browns in 1988. In Cleveland, he was once again teamed up with Kosar who helped lead the team to the playoffs. The following year, Trestman was promoted to offensive coordinator and the Browns made it to the AFC Championship game.

In 1990, Trestman returned to Minnesota as quarterbacks coach for the Vikings where he spent two years before leaving coaching for three years. He returned to the NFL in 1995 as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers. In his first year, the 49ers led the NFL with 457 points scored, 644 pass attempts and 4,779 passing yards. In 1997, Trestman moved to the Detroit Lions as quarterbacks coach and helped quarterback Scott Mitchell pass for the second most in team history.

In 1998, Trestman served as quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals, overseeing quarterback Jake Plummer who led the Cardinals to the playoffs for the first time since 1982 and to their first postseason victory in 51 years.

Trestman next went to the Oakland Raiders in 2001 as the quarterbacks coach and was promotoed in 2002 to offensive coordinator. The Raiders subsequently led the NFL in total offense and passing yards per game and made the Super Bowl.

Trestman spent the 2004 season with the Miami Dolphins and in 2005 returned to college football as the offensive coordinator for the North Carolina State Wolfpack.

In December 2007, Trestman was hired as the head coach for the Montreal Alouettes in the CFL. In 2008, the Alouettes lost in the Grey Cup but Trestman led them to victory in the championship the following year. In 2010, Trestman won the CFL Coach of the Year award.

On January 16, 2013, the Chicago Bears announced Trestman as their fourteenth head coach in team history.  Upon the hire, Trestman became the only Jewish head coach currently working in the NFL and the fourth in the league's history, following Allie Sherman, Marv Levy, and Sid Gillman.


Sources: Wikipedia; Chicago Sun Times; Jewish Coaches Association; J-Space