Mike Martz out as Niners offensive coordinator

Mike Martz has been fired as the San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator in one of the least acrimonious dismissals that you’ll ever see in professional sports.  Frequently when a coach is fired, the excuse given is that the “team wanted to go in a different direction” or that there was a “conflict in coaching philosophies”.  Martz’s dismissal is a rare instance where it really *is* a “conflict in coaching philosophies” and not some other issue that the involved parties are trying to gloss over.

The conventional wisdom is that Martz’s days as offensive coordinator were numbered when Mike Singletary began to experience considerable success as the Niners mid-season head coaching replacement.  When the Niners named Singletary their permanent head coach, Martz’s firing was essentially a fait accompli—Singletary was effusive in his praise of Martz saying that “he did everything that was asked of him to the best of his abilities”, but it came down to a fundamental difference in offensive philosophy.  Martz, most famous for leading the St. Louis Rams to the Superbowl title in 2002, prefers a high octane, pass oriented approach while Singletary wants to install a power running game in San Francisco.

Martz was a complete gentleman after his dismissal, with these comments about the man who just fired him:

"I wish him nothing but the best.  He’ll be an outstanding head coach I am not what he is looking for offensively. I understand that. This is just a part of professional sports."

Singletary sounded sincere in his praise of the coach that orchestrated the Rams’ offense known as “The Greatest Show on Turf” and emphasized that it was strictly a philosophical decision and not a repudiation of Martz’s abilities or professionalism:

"After an evaluation period, I felt it was best to go in a different direction. 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."

Though he’s now out as the Niners offensive coordinator after just one season, the team’s improved performance under his watch and the circumstances of his dismissal virtually assures that he won’t be unemployed for long.  At the very least, he’s likely that he got out of Detroit when he did—Martz was fired after two seasons with the Lions after the 2007 season, but based on the team’s 0-16 record this year it sure doesn’t appear that he was the problem.