It turns out the rumours were true: Marc Trestman has been named head coach of the Chicago Bears.

The NFL team announced early Wednesday morning that Trestman, who has coached Montreal's Alouettes full-time since 2008, was accepting a position with the Bears.

Under Trestman's direction the Alouettes won 59 games, lost 31, and won the Grey Cup in 2009 and 2010.

Trestman was also named CFL coach of the year in 2009.

During his Alouettes tenure Trestman earned more career victories than Marv Levy, the last CFL coach to move to the NFL, and brought the team to the playoffs every single year.

"Marc Trestman really raised the level of intensity in the coaching ranks," said Rick Moffat, sports director for CJAD.

"He came here with a big body of work from the NFL. Now coaches all around the league are telling me this is great for the CFL.

"It ups the level of respect."

 

Rumours began last week

The rumour mill started churning last week when former NFL head coach Jimmy Johnson wrote on Twitter that Trestman was heading to Chicago.

Trestman and the Bears denied that the coach's hiring was imminent, with the coach writing "I have not heard from the Bears."

Johnson also tweeted that another former co-worker was being hired by the Cleveland Browns, and that was confirmed by that team on Friday.

It's not the first time that Trestman has been considered for NFL positions while coaching the Alouettes: the Buffalo Bills interviewed him in 2009, and he worked frequently with quarterbacks entering the NFL draft.

 

Lengthy coaching history

Before coming to an Alouettes training camp guest spot in 2007, and joining the team as head coach in 2008, Trestman had a long history as an offensive coach for several NFL teams.

A quarterback himself for four years at University of Minnesota and Minnesota State, Trestman began coaching in 1981 and spent 17 years in the NFL with multiple teams including the Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns and L.A. Raiders among other teams.

His last NFL position was as quarterback coach and offensive co-ordinator for the Miami Dolphins in 2004, and he was offensive co-ordinator for North Carolina State for two years before joining the Alouettes.

 

The Chicago Bears plan to hold a news conference at 10 a.m. Thursday to discuss Trestman's hiring.