Coach Trestman returning to Alouettes

Talk of Marc Trestman returning to coach in the National Football League in the foreseeable future came to an abrupt end Thursday.

Trestman, who guided the Montreal Alouettes to a Grey Cup title in November, has agreed to a contract entension through 2012 with the Canadian Football League team.

"Coach Trestman brings to the Alouettes a shared philosophy of excellence and community involvement, and I personally feel it is a privilege to have him associated with the organization as its head coach," Alouettes owner Bob Wetenhall said in a statement.

"His dedication to the Alouettes' players and his personal humility have engendered our respect and affection for him, and we are enthusiastically looking ahead."

The Alouettes said a deal was in place early in the regular season, but an announcement was put off to avoid taking attention away from the club.

Trestman, 53, had one year remaining in his original deal with the Alouettes, who defeated Saskatchewan 28-27 in this year's CFL championship in Calgary after posting a franchise-best 15-3 record in the regular season.

Trestman also took Montreal to the Grey Cup in his rookie season in 2008, leading to speculation he might return to the NFL, where served on the staffs of eight teams over 17 years, including four stints as an offensive co-ordinator.

"We have been successful over the last two seasons due to the hard work of our players, coaches and all of our organization's personnel," Trestman said in a statement. "I am honoured to be a part of this organization and to be so welcomed by its amazing fans."

Although it would appear as though Trestman has accomplished everything possible in only two years as a CFL head coach, he said that couldn't be further from the truth.

"How our team handles success will be the greatest challenge we have," Trestman said. "It's far more difficult to handle success than it is to handle adversity."

The Minneapolis native had been mentioned as a candidate for the head-coaching vacancy with the NFL's Buffalo Bills and also as a potential candidate for the post in Oakland should Tom Cable be fired this off-season.

Trestman would not say whether a job in the NFL would interest him in the future, but he did say this new contract means he will remain in Montreal for three more years.

"I don't want to speculate on interest or no interest," Trestman said. "It's not an issue today."

Close to family

Trestman said the most determining factor in his decision to originally take the job with the Alouettes was that it allowed him to keep his family in his hometown of Raleigh, N.C., allowing his teenage daughters to remain in the same school with their friends.

"When you have kids in high school, in junior high, you want to be a part of their lives," Trestman said. "This job really gives me the best of both worlds."

Trestman began his coaching career as a volunteer coach in 1981 at the University of Miami and was named quarterbacks coach in 1983. That year, Bernie Kosar passed for 2,329 yards as the Hurricanes captured the NCAA crown. The following season, Kosar completed 262 passes for 3,642 yards, both school records.

Trestman then went to the NFL in 1985, first as a running backs coach with the Minnesota Vikings. In 1987, he got his first pro job as a quarterbacks coach with Tampa Bay.

The Alouettes hired him on Dec. 18, 2007, and in his first CFL season he guided Montreal to an 11-7 record and a berth in the Grey Cup game. Montreal lost a 22-14 decision to the Stampeders.

Still, Trestman was a finalist for the CFL's coach of the year award, which ultimately went to Calgary's John Hufnagel. Trestman is expected to be a front-runner for the this year's honour.