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 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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