Marc Trestman’s four-year extension with the Montreal Alouettes could silence departure talk

Since Marc Trestman took over as head coach of the Montreal Alouettes in 2008, there have been two constants: on-field success and off-season rumours of his departure for the brighter lights of the NFL or the NCAA. Trestman's Alouettes have gone a remarkable 50-25 in the regular season since his debut for a remarkable .667 winning percentage, and they've also made three Grey Cup appearances, winning in 2009 and 2010 and becoming the first back-to-back champions since the Don Matthews and Doug Flutie-led Argonauts pulled that off in 1996 and 1997. All that success has led to endless rumours that Trestman would soon be leaving for a higher-profile job, and with his contract expiring after 2012, the time would seem to be optimal. The four-year contract extension Trestman signed with the Alouettes on Monday suggests, however, that he may have decided to stick around north of the border.

Trestman's extension is probably one of the least debatable coaching moves any CFL team could make. He has a tremendous background from stints in the NCAA and NFL, and his record of success north of the border speaks for itself. Trestman's offensive game plan has led to veteran quarterback Anthony Calvillo putting up the best stats of his career in his late thirties, and that hasn't gone downhill substantially since long-time offensive coordinator Scott Milanovich left for Toronto last winter. In fact, Montreal might be the only team in the league that doesn't have quarterback questions at the moment. It's more than just the quarterback, though; Trestman's surrounded himself with talented people and inspired both coaches and players, and his teams have found great success on both offence and defence. In a league so ripe with parity and radical year-to-year reversals, the dominance the Alouettes have put up under Trestman stands out. If he was willing to sign an extension, Montreal was absolutely right to give him one.

From Trestman's side, the decision to sign is a little more surprising. He's been hotly linked to various prominent jobs as a head coach in both the NCAA and the NFL, and it's no secret that those would likely pay substantially better. Even a job as an offensive coordinator in the NCAA or NFL might give him more money, and it could also offer a great opportunity to move up to the head coaching job. Still, life isn't all about money, and by all accounts, Trestman seems to be enjoying life as a CFL coach, so perhaps this is an indication that he's planning to stick around. (It's worth noting that every contract has outs, though, and a NFL or NCAA team that wanted Trestman would probably be more than happy to pay his buyout if he was willing to leave.)

That's tremendous news for Alouettes fans, but frightening for the rest of the league.