The St. Louis Rams fired head coach Mike Martz after the team went through a 6-10 season. Martz was not available for the team's final 11 games due to heart ailment he suffered during the season.

The Rams started the year with a 2-3 record before Martz left. Assistent Joe Vitt took over the team and allowed the Rams to finish the year with an impressive 20-10 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

Martz had coached the Rams for five-plus seasons. He led them to the playoffs numerous times, including a Super Bowl match in 2001 against the New England Patriots.

Martz was noted for the "Greatest Show on Turf" style of offense, when Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk were in their prime. However, his offensive playcalling and use of timeouts has irked many the past few years.

On top of that, the Rams never did get healthy this year. Starting QB Marc Bulger missed most of the season while wide receivers Torry Holt and Issac Bruce missed several games.

Overall, Martz had a great record at 56-36. He wanted to return to coaching the team for the final few games, but the organization did not allow him back.