Today, XFL Commissioner Oliver Luck announced Marc Trestman has been hired as the Head Coach and General Manager of the XFL Tampa Bay franchise.
Last Friday, in what seems to have become a regular occurrence for all the XFL Head Coach announcements, the Tampa Bay Times leaked that Trestman would be named as the Head Coach/General Manager of the Tampa Bay XFL franchise. This was confirmed at the press conference held today at Tampa Bay’s Raymond James Stadium.
Trestman has had mixed success as a head coach in both the NFL and CFL, and most recently worked as the head coach of the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. Earlier in his career he also served as the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes (CFL), and Chicago Bears (NFL). His greatest glory came as a head coach in the Canadian Football League where he led the Alouettes to two consecutive Grey Cup championships and was named CFL Coach of the Year in 2009. Later in 2017, he also lead the Toronto Argonauts to a Grey Cup championship.
“Marc is a two-time coach of the year who also led his teams to three CFL Grey Cup championships,” XFL commissioner Oliver Luck said in his statement. “He’s just the kind of offensive-minded coach whose style will fit the uptempo, fast-paced game we will deliver to fans when the XFL launches next February.”
“I am very excited to be on the ground floor with Oliver, his team, and the other coaches across the XFL to help re-imagine football,” said Trestman. “I started my coaching career in Florida while I was in law school, and personally know the passion and love for the game that football fans have in the Tampa Bay area and across the state. I can’t wait to begin putting a coaching staff together and building a team that will play disciplined, fundamentally sound and exciting football come February.”
A Minnesota native, in college Trestman played as a quarterback for three seasons with the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, and one season with Minnesota State University Moorhead. He earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Minnesota and a J.D. from the University of Miami Law School and has been a member of the Florida Bar since 1983.
