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02-08-2006, 05:37 PM
February 8, 2006
Detroit Lions head coach Rod Marinelli anwsers a question about former St. Louis Rams head football coach Mike Martz, during a news conference in Detroit, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2006. Martz was interviewed Tuesday for the Lions offensive coordinator opening.
AP - Feb 1, 2:47 pm EST
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ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) -- The Detroit Lions hired Mike Martz after all.
The former Rams coach became Lions offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Wednesday, a week after he turned down the job for financial reasons.
Martz interviewed with new coach Rod Marinelli and team president Matt Millen nine days ago, but said last Thursday he wasn't taking the job because, "It just didn't work out with the money."
Contract terms weren't disclosed.
The Rams fired Martz on Jan. 2, 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, but has been cleared to return to coaching.
Martz led St. Louis to the playoffs in four of his five full seasons, including a Super Bowl after the 2001 season, 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.
St. Louis ranked among the NFL's top 10 teams in total offense in six of the past seven years, ranking first from 1999-2001. The Rams' passing offense hasn't ranked below fifth in the league since 1999, and was first from 1999-2001.
The 54-year-old Martz also interviewed for head coaching openings in New Orleans and Oakland.
His first NFL job was with the Los Angeles Rams as an offensive assistant in 1992-93 and 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.
Also Wednesday, Marinelli announced the hiring of Wilbert Montgomery as running backs coach, Pat Carter as tight ends coach, Joe Cullen as defensive line coach and Shawn Jefferson as offensive assistant.
Montgomery set seven franchise records while playing for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1977-84 and finished his playing career with the Lions in 1985. He has been a St. Louis assistant the last nine seasons, serving as running backs coach in 1997-99 and 2003-2005 and tight ends coach in 2000-2002.
Carter, who played 10 seasons with the Lions, Rams, Houston Oilers and Arizona Cardinals, was an offensive assistant on Martz's staff in St. Louis last season.
Cullen is a 16-year veteran of the collegiate coaching ranks, including Illinois in 2005 and Indiana in 2002-04.
Jefferson worked with wide receivers as an intern on the Lions' coaching staff in 2005.
Detroit Lions head coach Rod Marinelli anwsers a question about former St. Louis Rams head football coach Mike Martz, during a news conference in Detroit, Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2006. Martz was interviewed Tuesday for the Lions offensive coordinator opening.
AP - Feb 1, 2:47 pm EST
More Photos
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) -- The Detroit Lions hired Mike Martz after all.
The former Rams coach became Lions offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Wednesday, a week after he turned down the job for financial reasons.
Martz interviewed with new coach Rod Marinelli and team president Matt Millen nine days ago, but said last Thursday he wasn't taking the job because, "It just didn't work out with the money."
Contract terms weren't disclosed.
The Rams fired Martz on Jan. 2, 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, but has been cleared to return to coaching.
Martz led St. Louis to the playoffs in four of his five full seasons, including a Super Bowl after the 2001 season, 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.
St. Louis ranked among the NFL's top 10 teams in total offense in six of the past seven years, ranking first from 1999-2001. The Rams' passing offense hasn't ranked below fifth in the league since 1999, and was first from 1999-2001.
The 54-year-old Martz also interviewed for head coaching openings in New Orleans and Oakland.
His first NFL job was with the Los Angeles Rams as an offensive assistant in 1992-93 and 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.
Also Wednesday, Marinelli announced the hiring of Wilbert Montgomery as running backs coach, Pat Carter as tight ends coach, Joe Cullen as defensive line coach and Shawn Jefferson as offensive assistant.
Montgomery set seven franchise records while playing for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1977-84 and finished his playing career with the Lions in 1985. He has been a St. Louis assistant the last nine seasons, serving as running backs coach in 1997-99 and 2003-2005 and tight ends coach in 2000-2002.
Carter, who played 10 seasons with the Lions, Rams, Houston Oilers and Arizona Cardinals, was an offensive assistant on Martz's staff in St. Louis last season.
Cullen is a 16-year veteran of the collegiate coaching ranks, including Illinois in 2005 and Indiana in 2002-04.
Jefferson worked with wide receivers as an intern on the Lions' coaching staff in 2005.