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  • #1

    Martz says he's not interested in Dolphins' coaching job

    CHEW ON THIS ALL YOU MARTZ BASHERS OUT THERE!!!
    You all better get used to the big guy...cause he is staying....WAAAHOOO!!!!!!


    By JIM THOMAS

    St. Louis Post-Dispatch


    Rams coach Mike Martz and team president John Shaw shot down a Miami Herald story about Martz's potential candidacy for the Dolphins' head-coaching job.

    Citing sources close to three head coaches, the Herald reported Monday that Martz, Seattle's Mike Holmgren and Denver's Mike Shanahan would be interested in coaching the Dolphins next season if their current coaching situations did not work out.

    On Tuesday, Martz denied that was the case. "I have no interest in coaching anyplace else," he said. "This is our home."

    When asked Tuesday if there was any chance Martz would be available at the end of this season, Shaw replied: "Zero."

    When asked if he has had any contact with Miami officials about the possibility of Martz being available, Shaw replied: "Zero."

    At times outspoken and controversial, Martz has been a lightning rod for criticism and praise throughout his 4 1/2-year tenure as Rams head coach. With the Rams in the midst of an up-and-down 5-4 season, there has been frequent speculation by NFL observers and journalists about his job security in St. Louis.

    "I'm perplexed that there would be any speculation about his status," Shaw said. "He's averaged 10 wins a season as a head coach. How many victories did we average here (in St. Louis) before 1999? Five?"

    The Rams went 22-42 in their first four seasons in St. Louis (1995-98), an average of 5.5 victories a year.

    "If people think it's easy to win 10 games a year in the NFL, then they don't understand the league," Shaw said. "I think Mike's doing really well. I feel that he has the team in position to compete for a playoff spot and win the division."

    Following this season, Martz has two years left on his contract, at $3.5 million a year in 2005 and `06.

    Dave Wannstedt resigned as Dolphins coach last week, and defensive coordinator Jim Bates was named interim head coach.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Martz says he's not interested in Dolphins' coaching job

    On Tuesday, Martz denied that was the case. "I have no interest in coaching anyplace else," he said. "This is our home."

    When asked Tuesday if there was any chance Martz would be available at the end of this season, Shaw replied: "Zero."

    When asked if he has had any contact with Miami officials about the possibility of Martz being available, Shaw replied: "Zero."
    Best news I've heard out of Rams Park since......well, since there became a Rams Park in STL.

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: Martz says he's not interested in Dolphins' coaching job

      Originally posted by txramsfan
      Best news I've heard out of Rams Park since......well, since there became a Rams Park in STL.
      who the hell would want the 'Fins job...another salary cap crunch next year...aging defensive players...and OL that looks like a HS team...no running threats...2 marginal QBs...

      that team could suck for the next 5 years...

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Martz says he's not interested in Dolphins' coaching job

        Originally posted by Shaw
        "He's averaged 10 wins a season as a head coach. How many victories did we average here (in St. Louis) before 1999? Five?"
        Well, when he puts it in terms of MM being the best he could manage all during this time, I'm in. Clearly, Shaw has been known to do worse. Without MM, Shaw could reprise his inabilities again, and clearly it could be worse.

        Comment

        • #5
          We have a fine (mad, but fine) HC!

          It is absurd and rediculous how some of these rumors are stirred up! :smile:

          I'm glad MM made it clear he isn't going anywhere else. Rams players like him. The St. Louis Rams organization needs him. Who else would we want to "experiment" with.

          No, no, no. Stop that nonsense. We have a fine ('Mad', but fine) HC! :helmet:

          Let's focus on getting this job done here and now. We've got much to do. Gotta go to work.

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Martz says he's not interested in Dolphins' coaching job

            Originally posted by ebenezer
            who the hell would want the 'Fins job...another salary cap crunch next year...aging defensive players...and OL that looks like a HS team...no running threats...2 marginal QBs...

            that team could suck for the next 5 years...
            Agreed, it's going to take a lot of work to get that franchise back in contention in an AFC East that's very tough. Their defense is a strength, but offensively, they only have one player that scares me right now, and that's their tight end. Whoever accepts that head coaching job should be clear with the front office that it's not going to be an immediate success.

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: Martz says he's not interested in Dolphins' coaching job

              I wonder if bill arnsbarger will interview for the job.

              general counsel

              Comment

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              Related Topics

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              • RamWraith
                Martz makes sharp moves, fakes out Shaw
                by RamWraith
                By Bernie Miklasz
                ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
                Monday, Oct. 24 2005

                Monday at Rams Park, Mike Martz came to say goodbye. And he did so with grace,
                class and a touch of self-deprecating humor.

                Martz did the right thing. He's supposed to be on medical leave, but Martz has
                called assistant coaches, phoned in plays and dropped in on the players (at
                least once) for a visit. Martz is making healthy progress in his recovery from
                a bacterial infection of a heart valve, but realized he risked a medical
                setback by continuing to dabble in coaching.

                This mature self-awareness - to put his health first, once and for all - will
                undoubtedly please Mike's devoted wife, Julie.

                Moreover, Martz was sensitive to the potential discomfort of crowding interim
                head coach Joe Vitt and offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild. Martz is proud
                of the job they've done in his absence and doesn't want to make them feel as
                though he's peering over their clipboards.

                Martz added that he felt guilty at first for bailing on his staff and players.
                But now he's satisfied to conclude that the Rams are in good hands.

                "This is Joe Vitt's team now," Martz said.

                Later Martz joked, "They're going to be fine without me and it makes me mad."

                At times Monday, Martz sounded like a coach who showed up to announce his
                permanent resignation.

                Actually, I believe we've seen the last of Martz as the head coach of the Rams
                - and not just for the final weeks of 2005, either. He's done, he knows it, and
                he's just not ready to declare it.

                Before we cover Martz entirely in get-well-soon flowers, we have to acknowledge
                that he made a smooth move Monday. Martz was cheerful throughout his news
                conference, but make no mistake about it, his smiling teeth were sharp.

                Martz didn't exactly back team president John Shaw into a corner, but he
                finessed his boss into playing some "Cover 2" defense.

                It was Martz's best play-calling moment of the season.

                Martz announced his intentions to return as head coach in 2006.

                Which means the Rams will have to fire Martz if they want him out.

                Your move, Mr. Shaw.

                Accordingly, reporters put Shaw through an aggressive line of questioning:
                Would Martz, if healthy, be the head coach in 2006?

                No matter how pleasant the spin, Shaw wouldn't come out and state definitively
                that Martz would be the Rams' head coach in 2006. Shaw hedged.

                So here we have it: the chipper and optimistic Martz, vowing to make a
                comeback, and his boss declining to offer that coach 100 percent assurances.

                The wishy-washy support followed Sunday's...
                -10-25-2005, 06:01 AM
              • RamWraith
                Report: Martz cleared to work, but Rams said to want new coach
                by RamWraith
                BY JIM THOMAS
                St. Louis Post-Dispatch
                ST. LOUIS - The "end game" has begun for Mike Martz and his six-year tenure as head coach of the Rams.

                Martz has received medical clearance to resume full-time coaching, effective Jan. 1.

                "I was called by Mike's agent Thursday, who informed me that Mike's condition has improved, and he'll be cleared to come to work full time as of Jan. 1," Rams President John Shaw told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

                Shaw confirmed Friday that he also received notification of this in writing from Martz's doctor, Victoria Fraser of Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

                "I think we've maintained throughout that once we know Mike is totally healthy, we will be in touch with him to discuss his coaching status with the team," Shaw said.

                Those discussions now can begin starting Jan. 1, according to Shaw.

                Martz's agent, Bob LaMonte, indicated Friday that he would like to begin discussions sooner. But LaMonte added: "That is entirely up to John. I think the last thing he said to me when he got the medical reports is he would call me back."

                And if Shaw decides to stick strictly to the clearance date of Jan. 1 before starting discussions, that's fine with LaMonte.

                "It isn't as if we're talking about a great deal of time," LaMonte said. "We're talking about basically two weeks."

                Once those discussions begin, it is widely anticipated that they will lead to a negotiated settlement that will end Martz's time in St. Louis.

                When asked Friday if he has made a decision on Martz's future with the team, Shaw replied: "I really don't want to comment on that at this time."

                However, sources close to Shaw have indicated that he has made up his mind - namely, that it is time for a new head coach in St. Louis. The preferred course of action is a contract settlement, taking care of the final year of Martz's five-year, $15 million contract.

                Martz is scheduled to make $3.25 million in 2006. As soon as a settlement is reached, for something less than the $3.25 million, the Rams can begin their search for a new head coach. And Martz can begin his search for a new head coaching job elsewhere in the National Football League.

                Martz did not return a phone message Friday from the Post- Dispatch.

                According to LaMonte, "Mike has said he wants to come back and coach the team (in 2006), and that's what I told John."

                And that's where it stands, until LaMonte hears from Shaw again, presumably once the new year begins.

                Martz has not coached a Rams game since Oct. 9 against Seattle at the Edward Jones Dome. He has been treated for a bacterial infection, believed to be endocarditis. Since the Seattle game, Rams assistant Joe Vitt has served as interim head coach....
                -12-17-2005, 08:08 PM
              • Nick
                Rams president does not expect Martz back this season
                by Nick
                Rams president does not expect Martz back this season
                By R.B. FALLSTROM, AP Sports Writer
                November 30, 2005

                ST. LOUIS (AP) -- St. Louis Rams president John Shaw says he would be shocked if Mike Martz got medical clearance to return to coaching this season.

                Martz stepped down Oct. 24 on doctors' orders while suffering from endocarditis, a bacterial infection of the lining of the heart. Interim coach Joe Vitt has coached the team the last six games, going 3-3 heading into Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins, and Shaw expects Vitt to finish out the year.

                "I would be totally shocked if Mike got cleared," Shaw told The Associated Press Wednesday. "At the time he left it was pretty clear to him that he couldn't come back. But he's a coach and you get anxious."

                On Tuesday, Martz told TV station KMOV that "This is the best I've felt. And when you feel this good, you feel like you should be working."

                Shaw said he's spoken several times to the infectious disease specialist in charge of Martz' case. That specialist told him he'd be feeling much better about this time of the year but that he'd face a risk making an early return.

                Martz, who is at his second home in San Diego, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he probably wouldn't press the issue.

                "I wouldn't feel very comfortable calling (the doctor) after all this," he said. "We'll just stay by the plan."

                Beyond this season, Shaw said there's no decision regarding Martz' future with the team amid widespread speculation that he won't be back. Next season is the final year of his contract, and Shaw said lame-duck status was only one of the variables to consider.

                Shaw would not rule out Martz, 58-39 in six seasons with the team, coaching the team next year. Martz coached the team to one Super Bowl in 2001 and was the offensive coordinator in 1999 for the franchise's lone Super Bowl championship.

                "Would he change his staff, would he be able to hire new coaches in the last year of his contract?" Shaw said. "When you start weighing them, you start formulating in your head what type of commitment you need to make and which direction you want to take."

                The biggest factor against Martz' returning is an adversarial relationship with director of football operations Jay Zygmunt. Martz said after stepping down that he didn't know if he and Zygmunt could co-exist professionally.

                Shaw said a possible reorganization of the front office "will be on the table at some point."

                "It usually starts and ends with the head coach, he's the main piece to the puzzle," Shaw said. "Once there's a head coach, depending on who you hire and what the person's wishes are, or if you keep Mike, you start to formulate the...
                -11-30-2005, 03:19 PM
              • RamWraith
                Its offical--Martz gone
                by RamWraith
                SAD DAYS!!! you will be missed by some Mad Mike!!!


                By Jim Thomas
                ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
                01/02/2006
                Rams Martz
                The Rams and the agent for Mike Martz (above) will start discussions Monday to end Martz's tenure as the Rams head coach.
                (Chris Lee/P-D)

                Rams head coach Mike Martz was informed by team president John Shaw this morning that his contract will be terminated.

                Martz, who has been the Rams head coach for six years and with the organization for 13 seasons, has one year remaining on his contract.

                It remains to be seen whether that contract year will be settled with the organization or whether Martz will be fired outright.

                If he's fired, the team would owe him $3.25 million.

                The team has scheduled a news conference for 12:30 p.m. at Rams Park.

                Shaw did not attend the Rams' season finale against the Cowboys. But in a phone interview Sunday afternoon, Shaw had said the issue could be decided today.

                "I'd say that's a possibility, sure," Shaw said Sunday. "But I've had no contact with Mike, and none with (Bob) LaMonte, either."

                LaMonte is Martz's agent. Neither LaMonte nor Martz returned phone messages left by the Post-Dispatch on Sunday. Martz was believed to be traveling back to St. Louis after spending the Christmas holidays in his hometown of San Diego.

                Shaw had insisted all along that he would not begin talks with Martz and LaMonte until after Martz was medically cleared to return to coaching. That medical clearance became official Sunday.

                A team meeting has been scheduled for 11 this morning. The news will hardly qualify as a surprise to Rams players, who have expected Martz's ouster for several weeks.

                As for the expected afternoon news conference, one Rams veteran said, "I'm going to get some popcorn and watch this one."

                With the team's overall won-loss record hovering slightly above .500 since the 2001 Super Bowl season, Shaw was unwilling earlier this season to unconditionally commit to a contract extension for Martz beyond the 2006 season. That led to increased friction between Martz and the front office.

                Martz last coached the team Oct. 9 against Seattle before taking a leave of absence to recover from a bacterial infection of a heart valve, known as endocarditis. The front-office feud boiled over later that month when Martz was prevented from communicating with the coaching staff via cell phone during the Rams' game Oct. 23 against New Orleans.

                Shortly thereafter, a report surfaced in which Martz allegedly told a reporter that Shaw was not interested in winning, and that Shaw said the team lost money going to the Super Bowl.

                That report so upset Shaw that he decided to change head coaches at the end of this season.
                -01-02-2006, 11:20 AM
              • RamWraith
                Martz calls firing hard but takes high road
                by RamWraith
                By Jim Thomas
                ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
                01/03/2006

                Martz fired The head coach of the Rams, Mike Martz, was fired on Monday. A1

                It's not as if the news of his termination came as a surprise to Mike Martz.

                "I kind of anticipated it," Martz said Monday afternoon. "But when it actually happens, it's hard."

                Martz has spent much of his adult life working for the Rams - 12 out of the past 14 years, to be exact. But that chapter ended Monday morning when team president John Shaw informed Martz that his contract was being terminated.


                "I regret the way it ended," Martz said. "I really felt like I could go on here and continue for many years. I felt like we could be very successful. I regret that it didn't work out. But that's life; it just happens."

                A part of Martz realized that a parting of the ways was best for both parties.

                "I think in this situation, change is good for both the organization and for Mike Martz and his family," Martz said. "I'm very appreciative to Georgia (Frontiere) and John (Shaw) for the opportunities, both as a coordinator and a head coach. They've backed me, stood behind me and been very supportive over the years.

                "I've been in this organization for 12 years. And there's a lot of great memories here in St. Louis. We hate to leave it. It's a very special city. Very special fans ... but it's time to move on and remember the good times. There's a lot of them."

                Martz's tenure with the club began in Los Angeles as an unpaid assistant in 1992. He followed the franchise to St. Louis in 1995, working for two seasons as wide receivers coach under Rich Brooks. When Brooks was fired after the '96 season, Martz spent the next two seasons in Washington as quarterbacks coach. But he returned to St. Louis and the Rams in '99 as offensive coordinator and then succeeded Dick Vermeil as head coach in 2000.

                "You get attached to a lot of the people in the organization," Martz said. "There's a lot of loyalties involved there. And there's just kind of a way of doing things.

                "There's a lot of friendships and a lot of terrific moments on the field. You never forget the players. How do you forget Big O (Orlando Pace)? And Marshall (Faulk), Torry (Holt), Adam (Timmerman), Andy (McCollum), Leonard (Little)? All these guys become like your inner circle, or family.

                "And the coaches that you've been with for a long time. Shoot, I've been with John Ramsdell off and on for 25 years."

                But those days are over. So are those relationships - at least in terms of working with those players and assistant coaches at Rams Park.

                A lot of verbal volleys were fired between Shaw and Martz earlier in the 2005 season. But on Monday, at least, both men took the...
                -01-03-2006, 05:59 AM
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