Mike Martz

Michael Martz (born May 13, 1951) is an American football coach.

Martz played tight end at San Diego Mesa College, University of California, Santa Barbara, and Fresno State University and graduated summa cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis in 1972.

The following year his coaching career began at Bullard High School in Fresno, California.

From 1974 to 1991, he was an assistant coach at seven colleges and universities, including two stints as offensive coordinator at Arizona State University.

In 1992, Martz was hired as quarterback coach for the Los Angeles Rams and held that post through 1994.

Under his teaching, Isaac Bruce exploded onto the NFL scene, going from 21 receptions in 1994 to 119 and 1,781 yards in 1995 and being voted to his first Pro Bowl in 1996.

In 1995, when the team moved to St. Louis, he served as wide receivers coach in 1995–96.

Martz left the Rams in 1997 to become quarterback coach at the Washington Redskins and helped develop Trent Green, who signed to be Rams QB in 1999, the season Martz was hired to be the offensive coordinator.

Best known for his coaching tenure with the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League (NFL), he served as the offensive coordinator for the Rams' Greatest Show on Turf offense in 1999 that led the franchise to its first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXIV.

In 1999, Martz returned to the Rams as Dick Vermeil's offensive coordinator.

During the season, Martz's number one ranked offense scored 526 points, the fourth highest in NFL history, en route to returning the Rams to the playoffs after a 10-year absence and winning Super Bowl XXXIV Regarding Martz's impact on the season, Vermeil stated, "I can't think, in my history of coaching, of any assistant who came into an NFL franchise and made the immediate impact that Mike Martz did."

Vermeil further added, "Kurt Warner came off the street, and he made him NFL player of the year...I have great respect for him, and I think he has great respect for me. We took a team to the Super Bowl. Without him we don't go."

Quarterback Marc Bulger said about Martz, "He was by far the smartest football mind I've ever been around. The things he was teaching was so far ahead of what others were teaching."

Martz subsequently served as the head coach of the Rams from 2000 to 2005, where his teams reached the playoffs four times, won two division titles, and achieved a franchise-best 14–2 record in 2001 en route to an appearance in Super Bowl XXXVI.

Vermeil retired on February 2, 2000 (although he soon returned to coach the Kansas City Chiefs), and Martz was promoted to the head coaching position that same day.

2001 saw the Rams cruise to a 14–2 record (with Martz's signature, fast-paced, quick-striking offense—nicknamed "the Greatest Show on Turf" by the media—quarterbacked by two-time league MVP Kurt Warner) and the NFC West title.

Martz's Rams went on to win the NFC Championship against the Eagles, before losing Super Bowl XXXVI to New England.

In 2002, the Rams had a see-saw season in which Kurt Warner played injured and committed an unusually high number of turnovers.

Also, star running back Marshall Faulk was no longer the factor he had been in previous years—although many critics blamed this on Martz's tendency to emphasize pass plays, at the expense of running plays.

In 2003, Marc Bulger's first full year as a starter, the Rams fielded a much-improved defense under defensive coordinator Lovie Smith and led the NFL in forced turnovers, and they posted a 12–4 regular season record and made the playoffs.

However, the Rams lost at home in the NFC divisional playoffs to the Carolina Panthers in a game that would have put them in the NFC title game.

In that game, the Rams had the ball on the Panthers' 15-yard line with 42 seconds remaining and trailing by 3 points.

Rather than go for the win in regulation, Martz made the controversial decision to run out the clock and settle for a game-tying field goal and overtime.

The decision proved costly for the Rams as they lost in double overtime.

In 2004, the Rams got off to a slow start and Martz's popularity with the fans began to wane; the "online community" was particularly hostile.

Despite the early struggles, a late-season rally combined with a weak NFC West allowed the Rams to sneak into the playoffs as a wild-card with an 8–8 record.

They had to overcome an unusual number of injuries, but still managed to beat the Seattle Seahawks in the first round of the playoffs—making NFL history by becoming the first team with a non-winning (regular season) record to win a postseason game.

The Rams would go on to lose to the Falcons in the divisional round.

The loss of defensive coordinator Lovie Smith, who left to become head coach of the Chicago Bears—and took two of his assistant coaches with him—impacted the team's performance on the field.

On October 10, 2005, Martz took a leave of absence from the Rams to treat a persistent bacterial infection in his heart.

His assistant head coach, Joe Vitt, became the interim coach for the rest of the season, and offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild chose the offensive plays.

Martz told the Rams that after being examined and evaluated by his treating physician (Dr. Victoria Fraser), his illness would prevent him from performing his duties.

Martz immediately announced that he would miss the rest of the season.

Martz allegedly had several conflicts with the Rams' front office over the years, which reportedly came to a climax in 2005, as well.

While watching a Rams game on live television while recuperating at home, Team President John Shaw prevented Martz from relaying a play call to Fairchild by phone.

Despite being on leave, Martz also periodically appeared in-person at team practices late in the season.

Martz was given medical clearance to coach the Rams' last regular season game, on New Year's Day, 2006; however, management refused to let him do so, and fired him the day after that game.

Martz interviewed for head coaching vacancies in Oakland and New Orleans.

After the interview, he withdrew his candidacy for the position in Oakland.

He led the Rams to a 10–6 regular season record, but they lost in the 1st round of the playoffs to the New Orleans Saints 31–28.