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Reports: Detroit Lions Fire Mike Martz -- chicagotribune.com




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chicagotribune.com
Reports: Detroit Lions Fire Mike Martz

By Associated Press

2:27 PM CST, January 2, 2008

DETROIT



The Detroit Lions reportedly fired Mike Martz on Wednesday, ending his
fractious two years as the team's offensive coordinator.

Martz will be replaced by Jim Colletto, who will retain his position
as offensive line coach while calling plays. Receivers coach Kippy
Brown will serve as co-coordinator, the Detroit Free Press, Booth
Newspapers and ESPN.com reported.

A message seeking comment was left Wednesday with Martz's agent, Bob
LaMonte. The Lions had no comment on the reports, a team spokesman
said.

Martz confirmed his firing to the Free Press.

"We fell short of what we wanted to do offensively, and I regret
that," he told the newspaper.

The Lions were 7-9 this season after a 6-2 start.

During two losing seasons in Detroit, Martz was unable to replicate
the success he had during the "Greatest Show on Turf" years in St.
Louis.

Martz coached the Rams from 2000-2005, including a Super Bowl loss in
2001. He used the same offense in Detroit, but it didn't translate
into many wins for the Lions and head coach Rod Marinelli.

The Rams fired Martz on Jan. 2, 2006, the day after St. Louis finished
6-10. He sat out the last 11 games recovering from endocarditis, a
bacterial infection of a heart valve.

Martz led St. Louis to the playoffs in four of his five full seasons,
and helped the franchise win the 2000 Super Bowl as offensive
coordinator. The Rams went 51-29 in the regular season and 54-33
overall during his five full seasons as head coach.

His first NFL job was with the Los Angeles Rams as an offensive
assistant in 1992-93, then was quarterbacks coach in 1994. He was wide
receivers coach in 1995-96 after the franchise moved to St. Louis, and
was quarterbacks coach for the Washington Redskins in 1997-98.

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