TRESTMAN AT HOME WITH RAVENS

BALTIMORE – Marc Trestman had options. So did John Harbaugh.

Ultimately, they realized that the best choice for both would be Trestman spending the next stage of his coaching career as offensive co-ordinator of the Baltimore Ravens.

Trestman was hired Tuesday, 22 days after being fired as coach of the Chicago Bears and just 24 hours after his only interview with Harbaugh.

Harbaugh also met with former Denver Broncos offensive co-ordinator Adam Gase on Monday, but by then the Ravens’ coach pretty much knew Trestman was the ideal replacement for Gary Kubiak.

“The main thing was the fact that he’s such a good fit for us moving forward,” Harbaugh said Wednesday. “His experience level, his background in this offence, he can take us exactly from where we’re at offensively, in terms of the terminology and the system that’s in place, and build off of that. That was the determining factor.”

In his only year as Baltimore’s offensive co-ordinator, Kubiak produced an attack that set franchise records for points (409) and yardage (5,838). So after Kubiak opted to take the job as Denver’s head coach, Harbaugh went looking for someone to take the offence to the next stage.

Enter Trestman.

“This is going to be a good thing,” Harbaugh said. “There were good candidates available. We just moved quickly.”

Trestman, 59, lasted two years with Chicago. In his first season, the Bears were the second-highest scoring team in the NFL. This year, though, they went 5-11.

That left Trestman without a job, but it quickly became apparent he wouldn’t be idle for long. He was interviewed by Cleveland, Jacksonville and Oakland before choosing Baltimore as his final destination after meeting with Harbaugh.

“The bottom line is, we had a very good conversation. I felt a strong connection,” Trestman said. “I couldn’t be more excited to be a Raven and to be working for and with John.”

Trestman and Kubiak have more in common than merely being former NFL head coaches.

“Gary and I come out of the same training ground in terms of learning what people know as the West Coast offence, so to speak,” Trestman said.

Under Kubiak, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco put up career numbers in yards passing (3,986) and touchdown throws (27). He was also sacked only 19 times compared to 48 in 2013. As a result, Baltimore reached the second round of the playoffs following an 8-8 season.

“I had a chance to talk to Joe, and Joe is on board,” Harbaugh said. “He knows Marc’s reputation. Personality wise, they’re going to hit it off very well because they’re both very smart, they’re both very detailed and they’re both direct in their communication.”

Trestman knows all about Flacco, who has never missed a start and was Super Bowl MVP following the 2012 season.

“He’s been extremely effective,” Trestman said. “I’ve seen a courageous leader and a very tough guy.”

Trestman will receive aid from Marty Mornhinweg, who was hired as quarterbacks coach on Wednesday. He replaces Rick Dennison, who went to Denver with Kubiak.

“I’m really looking forward to working with Marty,” Trestman said. “This is all going to be part of a formula to continue to play a high level offensively and continue to get better.”

Trestman is the Ravens’ fourth different offensive co-ordinator in four years, all of them former head coaches. He follows Cam Cameron, Jim Caldwell and Kubiak.

“I think that’s an advantage, guys bringing that experience to the table,” Harbaugh said. “It helps in a lot of different ways, from perspective to a big-picture view of things.”

Before taking over in Chicago, Trestman was head coach with the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League. Before that, he was offensive co-ordinator for the Browns, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals and Oakland.
___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP_NFL