Bears eye Alouettes' bench boss as new head coach

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Montreal Alouettes' head coach Marc Trestman is on the radar of the NFL's Chicago Bears as a candidate for head coach. (CP)

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Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery broadened his head-coaching search to extend outside the country.

As first reported by the NFL Network, Emery is scheduled to interview Marc Trestman, a former NFL assistant who is the head coach for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. Trestman, 56, is known as a quarterbacks guru, and he worked with Bears quarterback Jay Cutler before the 2006 NFL draft and with backup Jason Campbell before the ‘05 draft. He also has worked with Tim Tebow.

Former Bears running back Garrett Wolfe recently played half a season for Trestman in Montreal.

"He’s a player’s coach," Wolfe said Saturday. "He had the respect of all the players because of how he approached everyone and how he conducted his business. I got the chance to develop a pretty good relationship with him. I just liked everything about him.

"With us, he was very hands-on. He knew everything that was going on with the offense. He was very detailed-oriented. Having played in both leagues, there are a lot of things about Coach Trestman that remind me of the great things about Lovie Smith."

In five seasons with the Alouettes, Trestman has won two Grey Cup titles and was the CFL’s coach of the year in 2009.

The Bears wouldn’t be the first NFL team to speak with Trestman about a head-coaching job. He interviewed with the Colts last year before they hired Chuck Pagano.

Trestman has not worked in the NFL since 2004, when he was the quarterbacks coach and assistant head coach of the Dolphins.

Previously, Trestman worked with Rich Gannon and the high-powered Raiders offense as coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2001 to 2003. He was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach of the Cardinals from 1998 to 2000. Before that he made two stops with the Vikings and also worked with the Lions, 49ers and Browns.

NFL teams do not have to ask permission of CFL teams to interview a CFL coach under contract. Trestman signed his latest contract last summer. It was a four-year deal which is to begin this year.

Emery has done extensive work this week in his search to replace the fired Smith. He interviewed Falcons special teams coordinator Keith Armstrong, Buccaneers offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan and Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, and secured interviews with Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, Packers offensive coordinator Tom Clements and Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians. Emery is scheduled to meet with McCoy on Sunday in Denver.

On Saturday, Emery met with Cowboys special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis in Dallas. DeCamillis spent 16 seasons as special teams coach for his father-in-law, Dan Reeves, with the Broncos (1988-92), Giants (1993-96) and Falcons (1997-2003), and continued on with the Falcons through 2006, overlapping with Emery when Emery was the Falcons’ director of college scouting (2004-08).

Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips previously was the Cowboys head coach and had DeCamillis on his staff.

"Joe has head-coaching leadership," Phillips said Saturday. "I’m sure the Bears recognize that and that’s why they interviewed him. What he does have which a lot of people don’t realize is Joe is very good at game management — being able to know when to go for it, when to punt, when to kick field goals. He’s right on top of it with that.

"He’s very knowledgeable of offense and defense, besides special teams. I know (the Bears) are looking offensively, but I think Joe would come in and help them in that area."

— Chicago Tribune