Marc Trestman (Class of ’74) hired by the Chicago Bears
After several years without a St. Louis Park native present in the professional sports scene, a familiar name has returned to the playing field.
Park graduate of the class of 1974, Marc Trestman, was hired as the new head coach of the Chicago Bears in the National Football League (NFL) Jan. 16.
Trestman, the 14th head coach in Bears franchise history, is coming from the Canadian Football League, where he coached the Montreal Alouettes to two Grey Cup Championships in five seasons.
Throughout his many decades of football, Trestman said he has seen the players and speed of the game change dramatically, but not necessarily how he sees the game. This has resulted in a big stress on academics for football players.
“The game may be the same, but players now are bigger, faster, stronger. Academics now more than ever is a huge priority,” Trestman said. “It’s very important to be football smart at this time.”
During the ‘70s, Trestman was an all-conference and all-state quarterback for the Park’s football team, before later playing at the University of Minnesota and briefly in the NFL.
When thinking back to his days playing and living in St. Louis Park, Trestman said he remembers the time very fondly, especially the mentors that helped teach and prepare him for football and life in general.
“You never forget your first coaches. I remember all of them very well, because they used sports as a way to teach me life skills that I never forget when I’m coaching,” Trestman said.
While St. Louis Park football has not had the same success that the team did during Trestman’s time, junior football player Quinn Livdahl said he believes Trestman’s new position as a head coach in the NFL will serve as a reminder to current and future Park football players of what can be achieved.
“I think it helps show our players that there is a history of success at Park, and also motivates us to restore that success,” Livdahl said.
Livdahl went on to say that he sees Trestman as not just a football icon for St. Louis Park, but also simply as a great role model in general.
“I would also expect (Trestman) to go on to motivate all Park students as he is yet another Park alumnus to go on to be very successful in the real world,” Livdahl said.
Trestman said he was appreciative of the praise, but simply wanted to make sure the teams he coached were part of a team effort, not specific individuals.
“I try to model behavior that help people with their lives. For me, it’s most important to make sure that you are team-first, that you are accountable for all your teammates,” Trestman said. “When you have humility, you always have a great chance to succeed in football.”
