MINNEAPOLIS – With speculation swirling about his future, Marc Trestman said after Sunday's 13-9 loss to the Vikings that he expects to return as Bears coach next season.
"I couldn't look at it any other way or with any other kind of focus," Trestman said after the Bears dropped their fifth straight game to finish in last place in the NFC North at 5-11.
"I'm getting ready [to conduct a meeting at 11 a.m. Monday] and putting a plan in place and that's my focus and has been, to fix the things we need to fix, and that's how I'm approaching it. That's what anybody would expect me to do and that's what I would expect of myself."
After taking over a Bears team that went 10-6 under Lovie Smith in 2012, Trestman has compiled a 13-19 record in two seasons. Still, he believes that he remains the right man for the job.
"Nobody understands the situation better than I do," Trestman said. "I've lived it every day for the last two years and certainly the last six months, so I think I have some expertise in that area. I don't think there's anybody in a better position to assess it other than myself and [general manager] Phil [Emery].
"I believe in what I'm doing and I believe I have the answers to help us get better. I feel strongly about that. I love this team and I love the players in this locker room, who I think showed a lot over the last couple of weeks. With a lot of noise around the football team, these guys went to work and focused on winning games. They didn't do that, but they focused on it with great effort.
"I'm really proud of our coaching staff, for their demeanor and the way they've handled themselves during this time as well."
