Ryan Remiroz
Marc Trestman of the Montreal Alouettes and Ken Miller of the Saskatchewan Roughriders will have one last chance to square off against each other as coaches.
Trestman, Miller and Jim Barker of the Toronto Argonauts were named Thursday as finalists for the CFL coach of the year. The winner will be presented with the Annis Stukus Trophy in Vancouver on Feb. 25.
The Riders and Alouettes have met in the last two Grey Cups, with Montreal being the first team since 1996-1997 to win back-to-back championships. Trestman is the 2009 coach of the year and this is the third consecutive year the two men have been finalists for the award.
"It seems like a pretty good head-to-head out there," Miller joked during a telephone interview from his home in Tryon, N.C. "Marc has been nominated three times and won it once, with a good chance of winning it again this time."
Trestman led Montreal to a 12-6 record and first place in the East Division. In his three seasons in Montreal, Trestman's teams have a record of 38-16 and three East Division championships.
Miller, who led the Riders to a 10-8 record and second place in the West last season, has retired from coaching and is now Saskatchewan's vice-president of football operations.
"To win the award would be a tremendous way to really cap a long, long coaching career," he said.
"It's a tremendous testament to our organization really, and the coaches I have worked with and our players. It means a lot to be nominated for such a prestigious award."
In his first year in Toronto, Barker took over an Argonaut team that had a combined 7-29 record the previous two seasons and guided the club to within one game of going to the Grey Cup.
Under Barker the Argos had a 9-9 record to finish third in the East Division. Toronto then upset Hamilton 16-13 in the East semifinal before losing 48-17 to Montreal.
Barker attributes the team's turnaround to the front office, coaches and players all buying into a winning concept.
"It was having . . . a group pull in the same direction," he said from Phoenix, Ariz. "I've been in organizations where that wasn't always the case, where there was agendas, where there was this and that.
"I think the number one thing was we were able to hire people, we kept players that all pulled in the same direction. When you have that you have the chance to be successful."
Miller praised the job Barker did.
"He took that team and really turned it around," he said. "He came in and provided leadership and stability, brought in a good staff and really brought them back to respectability."
Trestman spent time in NCAA and NFL coaching jobs before joining the Als. He has tutored quarterbacks like Bernie Kosar and Steve Young. He also has been credited with improving the play of Alouette quarterback Anthony Calvillo.
Miller joined the Saskatchewan coaching staff in 2007 as offensive co-ordinator. He played a key role in shaping a Rider offence that led the CFL in touchdowns and went on to win the Grey Cup. Prior to joining the CFL as an assistant coach with Toronto in 2002, Miller spent nearly four decades coaching at universities and high schools in souther California.
Miller said the Rider success starts in the locker-room.
"I have to point to the tremendous leadership we have," he said. "The core of players we have are so disciplined and so motivated.
"When we get new players they bring them in, indoctrinate them into the Rider way."
Barker said it was a thrill just to be named a finalist.
"It's humbling when I think about being a finalist when you look around the league and look at the coaches that are currently coaching," he said.
The nominees were selected by 53 voting members of the Football Reporters of Canada.