The St. Louis Rams fired head coach Mike Martz on Monday, after six seasons with the team. Martz hasn’t coached the team since a 37-31 loss to the Seahawks on October 9 because of an infection of a heart valve. Joe Vitt took over and led the team to a 4-7 record.
In a press conference Monday, Rams President John Shaw said that the team needed to go in another direction. He also indicated that a decision on Martz wouldn’t come until after Martz was cleared by doctors to coach again. That clearance came yesterday.
Martz was named head coach of the Rams in 2000, after Dick Vermeil resigned as head coach. In 2001, the Rams went 14-2 and returned to the Super Bowl, but lost to the Patriots. He has a 53-32 record as the Rams head coach.
The Rams won their season finale with a 20-10 performance against the Cowboys in Dallas. Jeff Wilkins 49-yard field goal and Aveion Cason’s eight-yard touchdown run in the second quarter gave the Rams a 10-7 lead with 1:52 to go in the half. But the Cowboys moved the ball 41 yards in 1:49 to set up a 22-yard field goal by Shaun Suisham with three seconds to go in the half. That tied it up at 10-10.
After a scoreless third quarter, Arlen Harris scored on a one-yard touchdown run to break the tie. Wilkins added a late field goal to make it 20-10.
With the win, the Rams finished the season 6-10.
