CHICAGO – The Bears have hired Montreal Alouettes coach Marc Trestman to replace the fired Lovie Smith.
It's the first head coaching job in the NFL for Trestman, a long-time NFL assistant who spent the past five seasons coaching the CFL's Alouettes and led them to two Grey Cup titles.
Trestman was an offensive coordinator with San Francisco, Arizona and Oakland. The Bears hope he can get the most out of quarterback Jay Cutler and help them reach the playoffs on a consistent basis.
Chicago general manager Phil Emery met with at least 13 candidates. Besides Trestman, he also brought back Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and the Indianapolis Colts' Bruce Arians for second interviews.
Smith was let go after Chicago missed the playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons.
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