Marc Trestman on Football, the NFL, and Risk-Taking

The Power of Bold

Marc Trestman has dedicated his life to football. Starting as a quarterback for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, Marc has traveled across the football landscape. He has served as both assistant and head coaches at some of the most high-profile football franchises, like the Chicago Bears. As the head coach for the Montreal Alouettes and Toronto Argonauts, he won three Grey Cups (Canada's equivalent of the Super Bowl). Most recently, he was named the head coach and general manager of the XFL's Tampa Bay franchise. Marc joined Adam to discuss a wide range of topics, like his early coaching career, how he thinks about risk, and how the XFL fits into the competitive landscape.

The conversation begins with Marc sharing his early years with football, including his detour to law school (03:02 - 05:27) and his experience as a volunteer assistant with the University of Miami football team (05:28 - 07:39). He then shares how he navigated that gap between player and coach (07:40 - 10:01) and the sheer complexity of the quarterback position (10:02 - 13:00). From there, Marc further discusses the transition from player to coach (13:01 - 16:28), how he creates buy-in from players and staff (16:29 - 18:52), and he embraces both humility and joy as a football coach (18:53 - 22:05).

At this point, the conversation turns to Marc's thoughts on leadership (22:06 - 25:11), how he thinks about competition in such a competitive sport (25:12 - 27:25), the importance of time management (27:26 - 28:49) and how he thinks about innovation in play-calling (28:50 - 34:05). The interview concludes with Adam asking Marc about handling the pressure of being fired (34:06 - 37:09), strategies he uses to shift the momentum in a difficult season (37:10 - 38:52), Marc's new opportunity as the head coach and general manager of the XFL's Tampa Bay franchise (38:53 - 45:38) and the value of a life mission statement (45:39 - 48:36).

For show notes and a transcript of our interview with Marc Trestman, please visit www.thepowerofbold.com.