Mike Martz: Unemployed Thanks to Rams

Just two days after the San Francisco 49ers season ended, the team decided to part ways with offensive coordinator Mike Martz after one year on the job. Originally, there was some confusion as to why he was let go. Was it because of a clash of personalities and philosophies between him and new head coach Mike Singletary? Or was it because the 49ers brass urged Singletary to go in a different direction?

Nearly two months later, we're still not totally sure, and the only thing we do know is that Martz hasn't found a new job. And he thinks he knows why.

Here's what Martz had to say in an interview with Tom Curran of NBC Sports:

"People are determined to keep me out of the league. It's been going on for three years and at this point, I can't fight it. I just can't fight it. Three years of people putting it out there that I'm a high-maintenance lunatic. "I keep asking, 'Who says these things?' No one will tell you. But I just put two and two together. But when you have a tag and the same damaging things get said two or three times it becomes very hard to shake that tag."

I'll be honest, the first thing that comes to mind when I hear the words "Mike Martz" is, yeah, that guy is crazy. Hey, maybe he has a point?

He also believes that his former employers in St. Louis are the ones responsible for spreading the word around the league that he's, well, crazy.

"Most of the perception came from St. Louis," says Martz. "There was so much bitterness and anger and it all stems from my relationship with Jay (Zygmunt). Really, it emanated from a couple people and I've now been dogged with it throughout my career."

Martz was the Rams offensive coordinator during the 1999 season when they defeated the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV. The following season, he was promoted to head coach to replace Dick Vermeil, and led the Rams back to the Super Bowl during the 2001 season where they fell to the New England Patriots in what was considered a rather large upset.

He remained as the team's head coach through the 2005 season, when he took over the offensive coordinator duties in Detroit. During his two years with the Lions they ranked 22nd and 19th in the NFL in terms of total yards, while the 49ers improved from 32nd to 23rd during his one year in the bay area.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

2-13-2009 @ 1:33PM

Steel Wheel said...

Two things Martz has goin against him...an ego the size of Texas and paranoia that everyone is out to get him. My suggestion is take a year off, gets some clarity and redefine yourself as an offensive guru that keeps his trap shut!

2-13-2009 @ 9:19PM

Niv said...

Well I don't know the guy, but as a life long Rams fan I absolutely can't stand him as a coach.

He was a lousy head coach and ruined a team that looked like it was destined for greatness. I almost cried when Dick Vermeil retired right after winning the Super Bowl. I knew it would have an affect on the team.

Martz was excellent as an offensive coordinator, but he proved very quick to be a bad Head Coach. If I remember correctly the year the Rams won the Super Bowl under Vermeil, the offense was ranked number one in the league, and their defense was possibly number two. In less than one year the Rams offense remained number one, but its defense fell to number twenty-eight.

Team that up with an increased arrogance in his passing game that he almost completely went one dimensional. Teams prepared for the pass and he kept putting Kurt Warner time and time again up against defenses that kept blitzing and disregarding the run. That's what almost ended Kurt Warner's career, he was so banged up and shell shocked he couldn't get any relief.

Just as Steel Wheel said above go away and come back as an offensive specialist and leave it at that.

2-15-2009 @ 1:25PM

freakbynature said...

The idiot Martz did it to himself. He should have won a Super Bowl as head coach of the Rams, but didn't. And then with the Niners, conspired with Nolan to keep QB Shaun Hill from starting and having "Possibly the Greatest Quarterback that I have ever Coached", Just Turnover O'Sullivan start. This idiot cost the Niners a chance at the Playoffs this past year. To this day, I do not see what all the hype is on this guy. He reminds me of ex-QB Steve DeBerg. they are just good enough to lose!

2-15-2009 @ 3:37PM

likestorun said...

I'm not a Martz fan, but he cost the 49'ers a chance to make the playoffs?? Be real, what about the other 53 players who catch, throw, tackle,have assignments, block, should I go on? The 49'ers sucked on defense, special teams the O-Line, I guess that was Martz's fault as well??? Get a life the 49'ers will suck again this year, and who will you blame???

2-16-2009 @ 4:42PM

Eddie said...

It's obvious you don't follow the 49ers (or know how to use the reply feature), so don't act like you do. Anyone who watched how the 49ers season unfolded can't help but blame the coaching staff for their (confusing at best, boneheaded at worst) decisions, a big part of which was MM and I'm not surprised at all that Coach Singletary didn't want him around. Of course, I could always pull some lame cliche out of my ass to describe a complex situation, but I'd rather put some thought and effort into it before opening my e-mouth and spewing nonsense all over the internet.

MM probably deserves better, but people talk and corporate environments are worse than some high schools in that respect. He should have seen it coming, but I find it hard to lay the blame solely on his head for the bad rap he gets around the league.

2-18-2009 @ 8:53AM

Hey, licktheruns, I did happen to watch all of the Niner games this year. I got to watch Martz's prodigy, Just Turnover O'Sullivan average 3 turnovers a game, 2 picks and 1 fumble. 2-6 record with the quarterback that he and Nolan chose. Before the season began, I expected Shaun Hill to start since he finished the previous season with a winning record as a starter. But Martz had to have his boy in there to ruin the season. When an individual player turns the ball over as much as Just Turnover did, how can the defense be all that good when they are always on the field? Also the opponents would get good field position to score on the Niners. Also, with the Greatest Show on Turf, the Rams, he did not use Marshall Faulk enough in the Super Bowl that they should have easily won. So yes, I can blame Martz for ruining what could have been a good season!!!!!!!