Toronto Argonauts relieve Marc Trestman of head coaching duties

[Will]

https://www.argonauts.ca/2018/11/03/...aching-duties/

That was fast!

[Mightygoose]

I thought he would be back next season. But at 4-14 coming off a Grey Cup win and after Manning coming out public about needing to win, a message was sent.

Still wonder if this is actually mutual and there's an opportunity or 2 down south

[timlb01]

Don’t forget about the new management cap. This would be part of the factor too.

[Antwon]

Wow didn't expect anything that fast. Obviously there's been some disagreement at different levels.
I wonder if Steinauer could be pried away from Hamilton?

[doubleblue]

https://www.argonauts.ca/2018/11/03/...aching-duties/

That was fast!

Wow! Didn't think it would really happen. Doesn't make me feel good about it. I think Marc Trestman is a good man but things sure went south this year. The last two games it sure looked like he had lost the team. The Carter debacle didn't help him in the eyes of Management either I don't think.

Except for hiring Trestman, Jim Popp hasn't got a good record of hiring successful Coaches.

[paulwoods13]

It seems clear Popp is staying on. I don't have an issue with that -- he has a good track record of player recruitment over two-plus decades in the CFL. Obviously finding the right head coach is imperative. There are a lot of potential candidates, including fairly obvious ones like Steinauer, Condell, Austin (yuck), LaPolice and Benevides, and less-obvious ones like Himebauch. I wonder if Popp will have to wait until after teams are eliminated to talk to assistants, or if there is a protocol in place to do it while teams are alive, as there is in the NFL. I'd like someone with CFL experience and an offensive philosophy that includes more of a commitment to a running game, but the latter may conflict with the former.

As for Trestman, he deserves our long-term appreciation for the miracle he managed to create last year. Unfortunately his deep commitment to his approach to coaching mutated into unsuccessful stubbornness and perhaps arrogance this year. It cost us right from the start of the season, when a few guys who excelled in camp and preseason (like Trumaine Washington) were left off the active roster in favour of veterans who were past their primes.

[Will]

I cannot believe how indifferent I seem to be to this news.

He did not have an easy go of it this year for a variety of reasons (personal & otherwise), but I largely agree with Paul's second paragraph.

What I am interested to learn (and we may never know) is the 'behind the scenes' of all of this. Is it Manning who pushed for it?

[Argo]

Apart from the very hefty financial hit... good news.

[R.J]

I had a feeling that this was the likely outcome, but Trestman absolutely had to go. Good on the Argos Brass and even Popp for seeing that Trestman was part of the problem too. In saying that, I wish Trestman nothing but the best in his personal life.

[Argo]

It seems clear Popp is staying on. I don't have an issue with that -- he has a good track record of player recruitment over two-plus decades in the CFL. Obviously finding the right head coach is imperative. There are a lot of potential candidates, including fairly obvious ones like Steinauer, Condell, Austin (yuck), LaPolice and Benevides, and less-obvious ones like Himebauch. I wonder if Popp will have to wait until after teams are eliminated to talk to assistants, or if there is a protocol in place to do it while teams are alive, as there is in the NFL. I'd like someone with CFL experience and an offensive philosophy that includes more of a commitment to a running game, but the latter may conflict with the former.

As for Trestman, he deserves our long-term appreciation for the miracle he managed to create last year. Unfortunately his deep commitment to his approach to coaching mutated into unsuccessful stubbornness and perhaps arrogance this year. It cost us right from the start of the season, when a few guys who excelled in camp and preseason (like Trumaine Washington) were left off the active roster in favour of veterans who were past their primes.

Year in and year out, Calgary didn't seem to have a problem coupling a stellar ground game with aerial fireworks, so it can be done.

Popp has another year to demonstrate that he can successfully attract and assemble talented players. I only hope that he can also first select and sign the probable best available next head coach.

[Stevoman]

Imagine going back to last December and saying he'd be fired by this time next year! However, imagine saying last year that we'd only win 4 games this year; both would've been unbelievable.

I have mixed feelings about the move. I really like his approach of building better men and using football as the opportunity but do think he was massively out coached this year and this team has never seemed together at any point and that lands on the coach.

With a change this fast it had to be pre-determined over the last few weeks. Hopefully an action plan has also already been talked about.

[AngeloV]

I'm not surprised at all. I knew there was a power struggle between Popp and Trestman. When a GM goes out and gets a QB, and the coach benches him in favour of a journeyman, you knew (or at least I figured) there was a power struggle. I've said many times, I love Trestman the man, but at this point, I believe his coaching system is done. My first choice to replace him is Paul LaPolice, with Orlando Steinauer as a #2, but I don't believe Hamilton will give the Argos permission to talk to him. He is definitely apprenticing as the next HC for the Ti-Cats.

Bottom line, this is good news for those of us that believe in James Franklin, and James Wilder, who may be able to run a different run play with a new philosophy other than between the guards.

I'll say it again, but Scott Milanovich had 1 bad year in 5 and had many more obstacles put in front of him.

I had a feeling that this was the likely outcome, but Trestman absolutely had to go. Good on the Argos Brass and even Popp for seeing that Trestman was part of the problem too. In saying that, I wish Trestman nothing but the best in his personal life.

I'm with you on this.

[R.J]

Condell, Himebauch, Steinauer, Craig Dickenson, Maas (if let go), Lapo (I hope not), Mark Washington, Devone Claybrooks are some names out there, but don't be surprised if Popp talks to coaches down South.

Milanovich is a Trestman clone, so I hope Popp stays far away from him, and anyone else who would run the Trestman West Coast offence.

[Will]

I guess I feel no great pleasure at this news nor do I feel any great sorrow at this news.

[Argo]

Imagine going back to last December and saying he'd be fired by this time next year! However, imagine saying last year that we'd only win 4 games this year; both would've been unbelievable.

I have mixed feelings about the move. I really like his approach of building better men and using football as the opportunity but do think he was massively out coached this year and this team has never seemed together at any point and that lands on the coach.

With a change this fast it had to be pre-determined over the last few weeks. Hopefully an action plan has also already been talked about.

The 4 win record actually seems to flatter the team. The change had to be made.

[Saugonaut]

I'm feeling bummed out about this, especially after learning of Trestman's horrendous year off t field. It doesn't help that the entire media division was plugging away at creating an image of team unity and love built around the coach's philosophy. I've heard "trust the process" for so long I actually did up until we got knocked out of the playoffs. Now the process seems full of it!

I don't know what to believe in anymore you guys, this one hit deep!!!

[Will]

The 4 win record actually seems to flatter the team. The change had to be made.

The 4 wins were by 3, 1, 1 and 4 points respectively. Yikes!

[SkalbaniasGhost]

It seems clear Popp is staying on. I don't have an issue with that -- he has a good track record of player recruitment over two-plus decades in the CFL. Obviously finding the right head coach is imperative. There are a lot of potential candidates, including fairly obvious ones like Steinauer, Condell, Austin (yuck), LaPolice and Benevides, and less-obvious ones like Himebauch. I wonder if Popp will have to wait until after teams are eliminated to talk to assistants, or if there is a protocol in place to do it while teams are alive, as there is in the NFL. I'd like someone with CFL experience and an offensive philosophy that includes more of a commitment to a running game, but the latter may conflict with the former.

As for Trestman, he deserves our long-term appreciation for the miracle he managed to create last year. Unfortunately his deep commitment to his approach to coaching mutated into unsuccessful stubbornness and perhaps arrogance this year. It cost us right from the start of the season, when a few guys who excelled in camp and preseason (like Trumaine Washington) were left off the active roster in favour of veterans who were past their primes.

The CFL has a supposed protocol in place but in typical CFL fashion it is not adhered to by anyone.The protocol was implemented by Mike Lysko but Popp/Wetenhall upstaged him in 2001 with the Don Mathews hiring during Grey Cup Week.It was the beginning of the end for Lysko and shows how ungovernable this league truly is. It will be interesting to see Edmonton's response this weekend since Len Rhodes was vocal about implementing this Competition Cap.I am curious to see limitations/punishments for not adhering to said such cap and if the Eskimos will abide to it.

I applaud Trestman's contribution to the Argo's and the CFL itself.I hope he takes 2019 off and focus on personal matters. Popp(if he sticks around) will need to go younger.The rebuild is going to get alot tougher in January when the XFL starts signing players.

[AngeloV]

Another thing that really can't be overlooked this season is the fact that the Argos did not have even 1 contact day in training camp. That is crazy. How do you evaluate football players based on essentially a touch football training camp? This was by far the worst tacking team I have ever seen.

[R.J]

http://3downnation.com/2018/11/03/se...marc-trestman/

Another thing worth noting:

From Kirk Penton`s The Insider`s Say of Oct. 3:

• All Jim Popp does is throw coaches under the bus. He did it to us when we were in Montreal, and that guy is starting to do it to Marc (Trestman) now.

Admittedly, I'm about concerned about that, especially considering the lengths Popp went to in order to get Higgins fired in Montreal. Popp also needs to wear some of the stink from this season IMO.