Although it’s all in the rumour mill so far, it now seems certain that Marc Trestman and Jim Popp will both be joining the Toronto Argonauts today. Trestman will take the head coach position and Popp will be general manager.
TSN’s Gary Lawless has gone on the record stating that the deal is done:
Deals between Jim Popp to be GM of @TorontoArgos, Marc Trestman to be head coach agreed to in principle. Expect announcement Tuesday #cfl
— gary lawless (@garylawless) February 27, 2017
Trestman had great success of head coach in Montreal from 2008 to 2012. He won back-to-back Grey Cups in 2009 and 2010, and won the East Division title in four of his five seasons with the team. He oversaw some of the team’s greatest years – although his tenure coincided with some of the peak Anthony Calvillo years as well.
He went on to coach the Chicago Bears, but did not find the same level of success, posting 8-8 and 5-11 records before leaving the team.
Popp also had a long tenure in Montreal, filling several roles including general manager and head coach. As a manager, his record was very positive, seeing eight Grey Cup appearances and four wins with the Alouettes. However, as a coach – often filling in after firing the team’s head coach – Popp’s record was 22-36, capped off with a dismal 3-9 showing in the 2016 season. He was released by the team on November 7 last year.
The Argos faithful seem warm to the deal – though they’re markedly happier about Trestman than Popp:
Jim Popp, I'm not 100% sure about. Marc Trestman is pure gold. #Argos' fans should be fairly happy.
— Steve Lansky 🍁 (@bigmouthsports) February 27, 2017
However, these new hires erase many question marks on the Argonauts going into the 2017 season.
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