Football

AP Source: Browns interviewing CFL's Trestman

CLEVELAND (AP) — A person familiar with the interview says the Browns are meeting with Montreal Alouettes coach Marc Trestman.

Trestman interviewed with the Chicago Bears on Monday night and arrived at the Browns' facility in suburban Berea on Tuesday, said the person who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the search. Trestman is the fifth known candidate to interview with the Browns, who fired Pat Shurmur last week after two seasons.

Trestman was Cleveland's offensive coordinator in 1989. He has extensive background as an NFL assistant and has spent five seasons with Montreal, leading the Alouettes to two Grey Cup titles. The 56-year-old is under contract through 2016, but the club will allow him to leave for an NFL job if he's offered.

The Browns are not commenting on any of their interviews or candidates. If the team was even thinking about contacting Nick Saban about their vacancy, Alabama's coach made it clear the NFL is in his past — not his future.

With their search in its second week, the Browns may have considered calling Saban, who coached the Miami Dolphins for two years before taking over the Crimson Tide's program. Fresh off winning his third national title in four years, the 61-year-old Saban reiterated that he's content at Alabama and outlined several reasons why he prefers to coach in college.

He said coaching in the NFL taught him that college "is where I belong, and I'm really happy and at peace with all that." Saban worked as an assistant in Cleveland under Bill Belichick, and there has long been speculation he might one day return to the Browns.

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner have interviewed several coaching candidates and are expected to meet with more this week. The Browns are expected to interview Indianapolis offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, who was released from a Baltimore hospital on Monday after he became ill before the Colts' 24-9 playoff loss to the Ravens.

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Related Headlines

  • Mike Holmgren

    Mike Holmgren leaving Browns uncertain of future

    Mike Holmgren's run as a team president is over, ending prematurely and before he planned. For weeks, he has hung around Cleveland's offices doing what he could to help new ... 

  • Joe Banner

    Browns fire coach Pat Shurmur, GM Tom Heckert

    Before the ball dropped on a new year, the Browns said goodbye to another coach. The same thing happened after seasons in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2010. One day after another ... 

  • Chip Kelly

    Browns moving on from Oregon's Kelly

    Chip Kelly wouldn't jump. So the Browns bailed. Oregon's visor-wearing coach isn't coming to Cleveland — or the NFL. A person familiar with Cleveland's coaching search said ... 

  • Rob Chudzinski

    Browns hire Rob Chudzinski as new coach

    Rob Chudzinski's first head coaching job will be with the team he loved as a kid. Chudzinski, who spent the past two seasons as Carolina's offensive coordinator, has been ... 

Find your future job here

What

Where

Service