Marc Trestman's former boss has no doubts the Bears found the best candidate possible.
Montreal Alouettes general manager Jim Popp joined the Jarrett Payton show on Wednesday to discuss the Bears' hire and how Trestman's performance as the head coach of the CFL team prepared him for his new position in Chicago.
"What you have with Marc Trestman is a very good human being who wants to see everyone do well. He's about working hard and he's about preparation," Popp said. "He's going to be a gentleman that will get your attention, be a friend to the veterans and get the most out of them. He prepares for a game like he's going into a courtroom. He leaves nothing unturned and he's going to coach the hell out of the players."
The main focus of those preparations will be centered around quarterback Jay Cutler. Trestman's offensive mindset differs from the way Lovie Smith coached the team, and Bears general manager Phil Emery felt Trestman's system is what the Bears need in order to achieve their goals next season and well into the future.
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"He will take Jay Cutler and he will get the best out of him, but the entire system will be built around Cutler," Popp explained. "There are some great quarterbacks that can do great things athletically, and what I do know is the Bears have a quarterback in the pocket to make all the throws. Jay's capable of that. Marc will devise something for Jay and they'll be successful in the offensive end."
That plan was music to Emery's ears, as the Bears GM was said to have executed a highly-detailed interview process to fill the team's head coaching position. Up until Trestman was offered the job, Popp played a major role in his former coach's interview process.
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"I was contacted by the Bears up until last night," Popp explained. "We had very extensive talks. I think one of the things the Bears can say they did was throughout background investigations and I think Phil Emery will be the first to tell you Marc was well-prepared and well-organized for this job and probably is more experienced than others he interviewed for the job."