Nobody wants to be dismissed from their job, especially after sacrificing blood, sweat and tears.
Marc Trestman didn't want it to happen in Chicago last year, but it did.
He quickly picked himself up, and just four months later landed in Baltimore. It just might be the perfect place for Trestman to rebound from his trying finish as the Bears head coach, and he's not taking his position for granted.
Perhaps that's why Trestman says a daily "thank you" when he walks into the Under Armour Performance Center for work.
There's a lot to be thankful for:
- Trestman works with a winning coaching staff led by John Harbaugh (advanced to the playoffs in six of the past seven years), who isn't threatened by former head coaches and has a track record of helping them be successful enough to become head coaches again.
- Trestman comes to a team that uses the very West Coast offensive system that he mastered.
- Trestman came on board just in time to see General Manager Ozzie Newsome use six of his nine 2015 draft picks on offense, including the first two on offensive receiving weapons in Breshad Perriman and Maxx Williams. The last time Newsome used that much draft currency on offense, particularly high in the draft, was in 2008 when he selected quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Ray Rice in the first two rounds.
- Finally, Trestman has inherited Flacco, a smart, flexible, strong-armed, winning quarterback. Perhaps there is no greater blessing an offensive coordinator can have than an established franchise quarterback.
"I'm an unbelievably appreciative guy," Trestman said during mandatory minicamp.
"I told that to the quarterbacks when we left every day. Before I walk in this place, I just say, 'Thank you.' I'm just so appreciative to be here, be a part of this organization and, certainly, to walk in a meeting room with Joe every day."
Flacco and Trestman hit it off immediately. After all, they have very similar personalities.
Harbaugh once described both men as very smart, very detail-oriented and direct in their communication. They're also both flexible and open to discovering what works best for the team, listening to the other's ideas.
"We're not going to have any issues," Flacco said. "I think we're going to be able to be honest with each other. Those are the things that I'm looking forward to. We'll have an open line of communication and not have one side or the other be afraid to be honest and say what they feel."
Time will tell what the duo can do together in 2015, but so far, Baltimore is exactly where Trestman wants to be. His stay in Chicago – in a head coaching position that he had wanted for so long – only lasted 23 months. Things unraveled quickly, just one season after his offense finished second in the league with 27.8 points per game.
There's no doubt it was a difficult journey, which makes his current position so sweet.
"I feel really appreciative and grateful to be here after what my family and I went through last year," Trestman said. "I embrace it every day."
