Mike Martz, the flamboyant and headstrong coach who took St.
Louis to the 2002 Super Bowl, was fired Tuesday as offensive
coordinator by the San Francisco 49ers.
Mike Martz, the flamboyant and headstrong coach who took St. Louis to the 2002 Super Bowl, was fired Tuesday as offensive coordinator by the San Francisco 49ers.
The firing of Martz, who joined the 49ers at the beginning of the season, was not unexpected.
He had installed journeyman J.T. O’Sullivan as his quarterback under head coach Mike Nolan at the start of the season. When Mike Singletary took over as interim coach after Nolan was fired, he benched O’Sullivan, made Shaun Hill the quarterback, and together they finished 5-4, bringing the 49ers to 7-9 overall. That was their best record since they last made the playoffs after the 2002 season.
Although Martz acceded to Singletary’s wishes, it was clear they had different philosophies of offense.
“After an evaluation period I felt it was best to go in a different direction,” Singletary, a Hall of Fame linebacker as a player, said in a statement issued by the team.
“This was not an easy decision because I appreciate Mike Martz, and I enjoyed working with him. He is a true professional, and I wish him the best in the future. I do recognize the need for a long-term solution on the offensive side of the ball.”
The 57-year-old Martz coached the Rams from 2000-2005, taking a medical leave after five games in his final season because of heart problems.
He coached the Rams to the 2002 Super Bowl and was the offensive coordinator of the St. Louis team that won the 2000 title with “The Greatest Show On Turf.” It featured Kurt Warner at quarterback, Marshall Faulk at running back, and Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt in a high-scoring offense that averaged almost 33 points a game in 1999 and 31 points two years later.
Martz was offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions in 2006-2007.
