ST. LOUIS (Jan. 2, 2006) -- Mike Martz was fired as coach of the St. Louis Rams after missing most of the season because of a heart ailment.
The Rams started the season 2-3 before Martz was sidelined with an infection of the heart lining. Joe Vitt replaced him for the rest of the season, which ended on New Year's Day with a 20-10 win over Dallas that left the team at 6-10.
Martz coached the Rams for more than five seasons, leading them to playoffs four times and to the Super Bowl after the 2001 season. The Rams lost the title game to New England.