TAMPA, FL. – Marc Trestman wasn’t the flashy choice for Tampa Bay…he was the RIGHT choice.

• Marc Trestman was named Vipers head coach and GM March 5, 2019
• XFL season begins Saturday, February 8, 2020
• Vipers will play home games at Raymond James Stadium  

“I come here today, honestly, with a great level of humility,” said Trestman at his introductory press conference back on March 5^th.

Trestman is a football guy. He’s been at every level of coaching: From his days as an assistant at Miami to his ascension as head coach of the Chicago Bears. When the XFL came calling, Trestman agreed because of one thing:

“We were going to have a chance to do it the right way, to honor the game and respect the game, which was critically important to me, personally,” said Trestman.

The XFL also granted something other spring leagues didn’t: time. It was a perfect fit for Trestman who preaches patience and process. None more so than the XFL Draft, which gave coaches months of planning and research on over 1,000 players.

“It’s been a long, hard process because we didn’t want to bring anyone into the locker room that we didn’t talk to or didn’t want to be in Tampa or in this league,” said Trestman. “Then we wanted to make sure they were a good fit for our locker room because character was the number one criteria.”

The XFL Draft also allowed for a new way of thinking – set phases to pick certain positions, and just 90 seconds between selections.

“The league did a great job of thinking this out well because you started out with nobody and we had 54 needs,” said Trestman.

Just because the draft would move fast, didn’t mean Trestman couldn’t slow things down. He put his staff through draft simulations. On the Monday before the draft, he went up against his defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville.

“He’s the most detailed guy I’ve ever been around,” said Glanville, 78, who has also coached in both the NFL and CFL. “And it was so hard – he ruined the draft. But, whatever happened on Draft Day wasn’t as bad as the day before with him. He doesn’t leave anything undone before it happens.”

Those qualities are why Trestman was brought in by the XFL. He wasn’t here to be a flashy salesman. He was brought in to do what he loves most: help his players improve both on and off the field.

“We have two jobs – one is to help them master their craft and help them get better and get the fullest potential out of them as a player” said Trestman. “But the other, and just as important, is to help transform them into becoming the best leaders, the best teammates, the best fathers they can become because that is part of winning.”

Trestman hopes that his winning formula will bring fans to Ray Jay this February.

“We’re going to have a really nice football team: a team that our community can be proud of  - that’s something that we are hoping for and expecting to have,” said Trestman.