TAMPA, Fla. —Marc Trestman is returning to the sidelines in Florida.
The XFL introduced him as the head coach and general manager of its Tampa Bay team at a news conference Tuesday at Raymond James Stadium.
“I think our goal of playing that up-tempo, more rhythm, more flow, fewer stoppages, more points, playing that kind of a game, I think Marc is absolutely the perfect choice to be the head coach in Tampa Bay,” XFL Commissioner and CEO Oliver Luck said.
Trestman, 63, began his coaching career nearly 40 years ago at the University of Miami. He was the quarterbacks coach for Bernie Kosar and the Hurricanes team that won the national championship in 1983. Four years later, he served in the same role for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
When Luck reached out to Trestman in January to gauge his interest in coaching in the XFL, he asked which franchise he would want.
“I would choose Tampa No. 1,” Trestman said he told Luck. “My experience in the state of Florida, knowing the love and passion that people have for the game of football is extraordinary here. There are only three or four states that really do have this kind of passion and this kind of quantity of players.”
Trestman has been a coach in the NFL or Canadian Football League for most of the past three decades. He was the Chicago Bears head coach for two seasons (2013-2014) and was an assistant for the Minnesota Vikings (1985-1986 and 1990-1991), Cleveland Browns (1988-1989), San Francisco 49ers (1995-1996), Detroit Lions (1997), Arizona Cardinals (1998-2000), Oakland Raiders (2001-2003), Miami Dolphins (2004), New Orleans Saints (2007) and Baltimore Ravens (2015-2016). In the CFL, he won three Grey Cup championships and was named coach of the year twice.
The XFL, which is backed by World Wrestling Entertainment chairman Vince McMahon, is set to kick off the weekend of Feb. 8, one week after Super Bowl LIV. The Tampa Bay team, which does not yet have a name, will play its home games at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Games will be played on Saturdays, Sundays and possibly Thursdays.
The league has hired head coaches for four of its eight franchises. Bob Stoops will lead the Dallas team, Pep Hamilton will lead the Washington, D.C. team and Jim Zorn will lead the Seattle team. The announcements for the Houston, Los Angeles, New York and St. Louis franchises are forthcoming.
The XFL is planning a draft for sometime between mid to late September and early October, Luck said.
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