49ers Fire Martz as OC

Mike Martz, the headstrong coach who took St. Louis to the 2002 Super Bowl, was fired Tuesday after one season as the San Francisco 49ers’ offensive coordinator. San Francisco coach Mike Singletary announced Martz’s third firing in less than three calendar years following an afternoon meeting with the veteran offensive mastermind. This parting had long been expected, and it wasn’t nearly as acrimonious as Martz’s last two dismissals in St. Louis and Detroit. Singletary and Martz worked together fairly well for nine games after Singletary’s midseason promotion, but the two men clearly have different philosophies of offense. “I wish him nothing but the best,” Martz said of Singletary, adding that the Hall of Fame linebacker will be “an outstanding head coach.” “I am not what he is looking for offensively,” Martz said. “I understand that. This is just a part of professional sports.” Martz’s dismissal means the 49ers are looking for their seventh offensive coordinator in seven years — but at least Martz left something on which the new coach can build. – ESPN.com