Marc Trestman - somebody please explain

[everybody knows my name]

I keep hearing and reading these dismissive and comtemptuous comments about him, but nobody ever explains why they don't like him.

What is the problem with Trestman? Am I the only Gophers fan who thinks he would be a huge score?

 

[Wheaton]

Have you not been on these boards long? There have been dozens of people giving reasons why they don't like Trestman.

For starters: He has been out of the college game now since 1986. Most people don't count the one year he was at North Carolina State.

 

[harrys ghost]

Am I the only Gophers fan who thinks he would be a huge score?

Pretty much.

 

[Unregistered User]

Pretty much.

Well...Sid Hartman too.

 

[Seany]

I keep hearing and reading these dismissive and comtemptuous comments about him, but nobody ever explains why they don't like him.

What is the problem with Trestman? Am I the only Gophers fan who thinks he would be a huge score?

Marc Trestman represents a HUGE unknown, at a time when this program obviously cannot afford to take chances and throw caution to the wind by hiring another virtual unknown as a football coach.

Trestman has never been a head coach in American football, and has not coached in the college game since 1984, so let me ask you, what kind of credibility does he have to offer to a college team desperately needing a coach who can make us viable again, and what kind of credibility and selling points about himself would he have to offer to recruits?

You combine that with his nomadic ways (never been at any job for longer than 3 years), and the three year hiatus he took completely away from football, and the fact he's coaching in the CFL right now, and just have to wonder why? Why would this guy even remotely be considered an acceptable hire here?

 

[dpodoll68]

I guess if you're going to hire someone who doesn't coach 11-man football, Trestman is as good of a choice as any. Hell, my old HS won a 9-man state title back in the 80s. Maturi should give our old coach a call - I'm sure he'd be interested. Nine-man is a lot more similar to 11-man than is Canadian football.

On second thought, maybe we should actually hire a coach that actually is employed in the same sport.

 

[Wheaton]

I guess if you're going to hire someone who doesn't coach 11-man football, Trestman is as good of a choice as any. Hell, my old HS won a 9-man state title back in the 80s. Maturi should give our old coach a call - I'm sure he'd be interested. Nine-man is a lot more similar to 11-man than is Canadian football.

On second thought, maybe we should actually hire a coach that actually is employed in the same sport.

Minnesota 9 man football is where its at. Thats what I grew up with! haha

 

[everybody knows my name]

So the problems with Trestman are

1. "He has been out of the college game now since 1986. Most people don't count the one year he was at North Carolina State." So his head-coaching success has come somewhere other than in the college game.
2. "Trestman has never been a head coach in American football." So apparently he writes his playbook in Chinese. And it's a problem that he works in the CFL now because it's proof that what, he can't make adjustments?
3. "Nomadic ways...three year hiatus" You're afraid he won't pay off his 30-year mortgage, or he'll go on a pilgrimage to Tibet after three years.

Come on, persuade me. Give me something better to work with! So far he still looks pretty good to me.

 

[Unregistered User]

Come on, persuade me. Give me something better to work with! So far he still looks pretty good to me.

I'll give you a reason not to for every recruit he has brought in for the past 20 years.

 

[everybody knows my name]

Yeah, so far the recruiting thing is the only thing I can think of to hold against him. But say he hires a good recruiting coordinator. Problem solved.

Give me something better to work with. I'm willing to be persuaded.

 

[Wheaton]

Yeah, so far the recruiting thing is the only thing I can think of to hold against him. But say he hires a good recruiting coordinator. Problem solved.

Give me something better to work with. I'm willing to be persuaded.

He has been in the NFL for over a dozen years and has never been promoted to anything higher than an Offensive coordinator.

 

[everybody knows my name]

He has been in the NFL for over a dozen years and has never been promoted to anything higher than an Offensive coordinator.

What is that proof of? There are plenty of people in the NFL who think he should have been promoted. Tony Dungy wants the Gophers to pursue him.

I think this is an example of starting with the conclusion and constructing an argument to suit it.

 

[The 12th Man]

Yeah, so far the recruiting thing is the only thing I can think of to hold against him. But say he hires a good recruiting coordinator. Problem solved.

Give me something better to work with. I'm willing to be persuaded.

The recruiting thing is a BIG freaking deal. You should know also that the job of recruiting coordinator is like the job of secretary. They organize things and handle logistical issues but don't actually recruit. The problem would not be solved.

 

[Wheaton]

What is that proof of? There are plenty of people in the NFL who think he should have been promoted. Tony Dungy wants the Gophers to pursue him.

I think this is an example of starting with the conclusion and constructing an argument to suit it.

Its proof that in the NFL, where people know football, he was never good enough to run a team. He has worked in tons of different places and couldn't sneak his way into a HC position at any of them.

Don't you think that if you were in the same business (Not always with the same employer) for 19 years you would be promoted? I would hope if I'm where I'm at for 19 years I would get some recognition with a better job.

Dungy has not lobbied for Trestman. He simply told Dan Patrick that they should go after him because he is an alum and Dungy wanted nothing to do with it himself. Dungy is lobbying for minority candidates, nothing wrong with that, but I think most would agree that Dungy has an agenda to pass with his help.

 

[koppco1]

What is that proof of? There are plenty of people in the NFL who think he should have been promoted. Tony Dungy wants the Gophers to pursue him.

I think this is an example of starting with the conclusion and constructing an argument to suit it.

And who told you Dungy "wants Trestman" for Gopher coach? Do you have a direct line to Coach Dungy or is this heresay from Sid?

Come on Marc, don't you have better things to do then post on a Gopher board to build interest in your slim to none chances of getting this job?

I'll give you one good reason he won't be coach. About 50% of the season ticket holders would cancel their tickets if he was brought in as the "Tubby-like" hire (me included). A $300M stadium in its third year cannot be half empty and thats what would happen. Also, this program needs a proven winner in the college game and he is definitely NOT that (which is a fact). Tell me this, are any other programs with job openings pursuing Trestman as a HC? In fact, has anyone in college football EVER pursued Trestman for HC? The answer is no. No one else thinks he is even remotely qualified to lead their programs so why should we just because he is from here. I want a winner and not provincialism.

 

[everybody knows my name]

And who told you Dungy "wants Trestman" for Gopher coach? Do you have a direct line to Coach Dungy or is this heresay from Sid?

http://www.gophertailgate.com/2010/09/28/dungy-shoots-down-shooters-minnesota-rumor/

Tony Dungy was a guest on the Dan Patrick Show today and was asked about the Charlie Walters column in today's PP about the possibility of Dungy coaching the Gophers if when current head coach Tim Brewster is fired. Dungy's response: "I have not and you can tell whoever wrote that story that they need to focus on Marc Trestman."

 

[corcoran1]

Trestman may be a great guy, and a good coach, but there is no track record providing any proof he can do the job. At this point he is to the Gopher head coaching job what Harold Stassen was to the US Presidency-a perenial bridesmaid. Longing for someone they know is a security blanket for people who don't trust anyone from outside Minnesota.
MT has no measureable track record as a head coach at any level of college football. No measure of terrific success as an OC at any level of college football. He has done anywhere from okay to good, not great, as an OC.
I love Gopher FB and Hoops, but we have been so bad at FB for so long that having played here has so much baggage that it would require incredible success elsewhere to make anyone believe any alumnus other than Dungy could fix it, and Dungy is smart enough to know that as good as he is, he hasn't coached college football before.

 

[koppco1]

http://www.gophertailgate.com/2010/09/28/dungy-shoots-down-shooters-minnesota-rumor/

Tony Dungy was a guest on the Dan Patrick Show today and was asked about the Charlie Walters column in today's PP about the possibility of Dungy coaching the Gophers if when current head coach Tim Brewster is fired. Dungy's response: "I have not and you can tell whoever wrote that story that they need to focus on Marc Trestman."

Great. Dungy said they should focus part of their search on Trestman. Can you respond to the other facts? Has any other school ever pursued Trestman? Do you think the fanbase would be "energized" by this hire and not dump their season tickets in droves? The answer to both is unequivocally "no".

 

[Hates Monikers]

http://www.gophertailgate.com/2010/09/28/dungy-shoots-down-shooters-minnesota-rumor/

Tony Dungy was a guest on the Dan Patrick Show today and was asked about the Charlie Walters column in today's PP about the possibility of Dungy coaching the Gophers if when current head coach Tim Brewster is fired. Dungy's response: "I have not and you can tell whoever wrote that story that they need to focus on Marc Trestman."

That's a great quote. But you are taking it out of context. Patrick quoted Charley Walters' column, in which Dungy and Trestman were both listed as the leaders for the job. Patrick is the one who raised Trestman's name. To paraphrase Dungy, he said they need to focus on Trestman (the other person mentioned), since Dungy himself would not be doing it.

If you can name one BCS school outside of Minnesota who has seriously considered Trestman, I'll reconsider him. Show me a link where his name has been connected to Colorado, for instance. Many of the other names brought up on this board have also been brought up with Colorodo. No Trestman, though.

 

[MSGopher]

I keep hearing and reading these dismissive and comtemptuous comments about him, but nobody ever explains why they don't like him.

What is the problem with Trestman? Am I the only Gophers fan who thinks he would be a huge score?

You seem unwilling to listen to the reasons people are providing. You claim that simply hiring a recruiting coordinator would overcome Trestman's absence from the college game for all but one of the past 25 years? If that were the simple solution, every team in the BCS would be competing equally for all of the top players. Obviously you are misguided there.

My issue is that he would not be even a Tier 2 candidate at any other major school in the country. Do you disagree? If so, why would he be a candidate? His job history shows a glaring lack of promotions or even jobs lasting longer than 2 years. There is a several year stretch where he was out of football altogether. While he has done well in the (eight team) CFL, many of the Trestmanites also rabidly wanted to install him in 2007 when he had no head coaching experience whatsoever.

The better question is, what are the reasons you think he would be a "huge score?"

 

[everybody knows my name]

Hates, that's a great example of what the absence of independent thought produces.

The guy had a hard time getting a head coaching position in the NFL so he took a job in the CFL and has gone 26-10 with a league title in his first three years.

The Montreal Allouettes considered him, hired him, and if you read up you'll know that they're desperate to keep him.

Why should the Gophers (or you and I) care whether any other college team is pursuing him? What does that have to do with success?

So far the only legitimate gripe I've heard is the lack of recruiting experience. Everything else is sour grapes. 'Why would the Gophers hire someone that other teams don't want?' and 'I'll cancel my season tickets!' are not compelling arguments.

 

[everybody knows my name]

You seem unwilling to listen to the reasons people are providing. You claim that simply hiring a recruiting coordinator would overcome Trestman's absence from the college game for all but one of the past 25 years? If that were the simple solution, every team in the BCS would be competing equally for all of the top players. Obviously you are misguided there.

My issue is that he would not be even a Tier 2 candidate at any other major school in the country. Do you disagree? If so, why would he be a candidate? His job history shows a glaring lack of promotions or even jobs lasting longer than 2 years. There is a several year stretch where he was out of football altogether. While he has done well in the (eight team) CFL, many of the Trestmanites also rabidly wanted to install him in 2007 when he had no head coaching experience whatsoever.

The better question is, what are the reasons you think he would be a "huge score?"

Wrong - I'm not unwilling to listen. I'm listening and finding fault. There's a difference.

Trestman is a respected football mind, has been an OC in the NFL and HC in the CFL, and he has a good record as a head coach, albeit for just short of three full seasons. Again, the only legitimate concern I've heard is the recruiting angle, which I don't take as seriously as you. A recruiting coordinator fulfills whatever duties you delegate to him with as much skill as he has. That will ring true with people who have management experience.

 

[Maximus]

and has not coached in the college game since 1984,

Minus the two seasons at NC State in 2005-06. Details, details....

what kind of credibility does he have to offer to a college team desperately needing a coach who can make us viable again, and what kind of credibility and selling points about himself would he have to offer to recruits?

I'm sure Hawkeye fans were wondering what credibility an NFL offensive line coach from 1993-98 had. Never been a coordinator? No thanks.

 

[wdgold]

Wrong - I'm not unwilling to listen. I'm listening and finding fault. There's a difference.

Trestman is a respected football mind, has been an OC in the NFL and HC in the CFL, and he has a good record as a head coach, albeit for just short of three full seasons. Again, the only legitimate concern I've heard is the recruiting angle, which I don't take as seriously as you. A recruiting coordinator fulfills whatever duties you delegate to him with as much skill as he has. That will ring true with people who have management experience.

Not that Trestman couldn't do a good job. I think it just comes down to that there are several other candidates right now that would better qualify for this job based on direct college HC experience.

 

[everybody knows my name]

wdgold, I happen to be in agreement with you. Trestman isn't my first choice either. Personally I like Bronco Mendenhall, Al Golden, and obviously Chris Peterson and whatsisname from TCU before Trestman.

But my original question was why do so many people hate Trestman so much, and I still haven't had a satisfactory answer to that one. I'm keep waiting for someone to say he's a one-eyed negro Jew or a Republican or some horrid thing.

 

[gophmeister]

Trestman isn't even going to interviewed, so this pointless. Outside of the CFL he's had almost zero success. Big deal he was a volunteer coach at Miami when they won the national championship.

 

[Wheaton]

wdgold, I happen to be in agreement with you. Trestman isn't my first choice either. Personally I like Bronco Mendenhall, Al Golden, and obviously Chris Peterson and whatsisname from TCU before Trestman.

But my original question was why do so many people hate Trestman so much, and I still haven't had a satisfactory answer to that one. I'm keep waiting for someone to say he's a one-eyed negro Jew or a Republican or some horrid thing.

I find this to be the better question. Why on God's green Mormon earth would Bronco Mendenhall even for a second consider leaving BYU for Minnesota. This is the second time in the past week and a half I have seen his name come up on these boards. He has had tons of success (not so much this year) early on at BYU and they are about to go Independent.

 

[Iowasucks]

Wrong - I'm not unwilling to listen. I'm listening and finding fault. There's a difference.

Trestman is a respected football mind, has been an OC in the NFL and HC in the CFL, and he has a good record as a head coach, albeit for just short of three full seasons. Again, the only legitimate concern I've heard is the recruiting angle, which I don't take as seriously as you. A recruiting coordinator fulfills whatever duties you delegate to him with as much skill as he has. That will ring true with people who have management experience.

Instead of just blatantly dismissing what everyone is saying, why don’t you give us some reasons he should be considered? You throw out things like…..”Who cares if other schools are after him”…….you just throw things to the side without any real argument.

You see this proves to me that top notch football minds know something we do not. I do not pretend to be an expert; this is all a matter of opinion.
It is easy to dispute someone’s argument when all you do is throw out opinions………so convince me…….why should they go after him? My opinion is no……you don’t like, I don’t care……..not going to debate opinions.

If you care, it is your job to convince us.

Bwaaaa haaaaa haaaa haaaa....."I'm not unwilling to listen. I'm listening and finding fault. There's a difference."

I love this quote....finding faults in opinons..........did you sleep at a motel 8 last night?

 

[Hates Monikers]

Hates, that's a great example of what the absence of independent thought produces.

The guy had a hard time getting a head coaching position in the NFL so he took a job in the CFL and has gone 26-10 with a league title in his first three years.

The Montreal Allouettes considered him, hired him, and if you read up you'll know that they're desperate to keep him.

Why should the Gophers (or you and I) care whether any other college team is pursuing him? What does that have to do with success?

So far the only legitimate gripe I've heard is the lack of recruiting experience. Everything else is sour grapes. 'Why would the Gophers hire someone that other teams don't want?' and 'I'll cancel my season tickets!' are not compelling arguments.

You're right -- the fact that nobody else would consider him does not prove that he can't be successful. It's absolutely true that great leaders/coaches are not necessarily the ones that are the popular pick of everybody. But if you're going to go against the grain and pick someone that nobody else thinks is ready, you better be good at picking those diamonds in the rough. Maturi's last stab at that got us Brewster.

If you need more evidence against Trestman, come back with N.C. State's offensive stats the two years he was there a few years ago. Someone posted them here a few weeks ago, and they were dreadful. As bad as everybody though our offense was last season, N.C. State was worse when Trestman ran it.

I think the reason people here are so vocal about Trestman is that it seems so possible. If a guy with his record was mentioned here and he grew up in Virginia, we wouldn't discuss him because nobody would think he would actually be considered.

 

[MSGopher]

Wrong - I'm not unwilling to listen. I'm listening and finding fault. There's a difference.

Trestman is a respected football mind, has been an OC in the NFL and HC in the CFL, and he has a good record as a head coach, albeit for just short of three full seasons. Again, the only legitimate concern I've heard is the recruiting angle, which I don't take as seriously as you. A recruiting coordinator fulfills whatever duties you delegate to him with as much skill as he has. That will ring true with people who have management experience.

Respected by whom? There is no doubt that Trestman is a class guy, but please tell me who has considered this guy for an American head coaching job in the last 10 years? His last American job period was OC for NC State. That is a fine school but if he was such a "respected football mind" I would think he could do a little better that far into his career.

Again, you cannot solve a recruiting lack by just hiring a coordinator and delegating. If you could let me know of any examples I would be curious to know where you think that has worked.