FanHouse MikeMartz

Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.

After the uneventful tenure of head coach Mike Nolan, the San Francisco 49ers decided to promote Mike Singletary to interim head coach during the 2008 season.

After a bizarre debut that saw Singletary address his team without pants, the 49ers finished the season on a 5-4 run under their new coach, ending the year with a 7-9 record. Had it not been for a confusing ending to a Monday night game against Arizona, the 49ers would have finished with a .500 record for the first time since 2002. So close, yet so far.

Mike Tomlin is 36, just finished his second season as an NFL head coach, and all he's done is amass a 22-10 record and bring Pittsburgh its sixth Super Bowl championship, all while blazing a trail for young potential head coaching candidates who might be short on experience but long on leadership.

And the good news keeps on coming. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Tomlin's employer, are in the process of giving him a raise, even though he's only two years into a four-year deal. In general, the organization has a rule about new contracts: they're only re-worked in their last year. Perhaps that only applies to players, or maybe Dan Rooney is willing to make an exception in this case. Whatever, I don't imagine anybody thinks it's a bad idea.

Just two days after the San Francisco 49ers season ended, the team decided to part ways with offensive coordinator Mike Martz after one year on the job. Originally, there was some confusion as to why he was let go. Was it because of a clash of personalities and philosophies between him and new head coach Mike Singletary? Or was it because the 49ers brass urged Singletary to go in a different direction?

Nearly two months later, we're still not totally sure, and the only thing we do know is that Martz hasn't found a new job. And he thinks he knows why.

Mike Martz, much like a rash, just won't go away. At least if the rumors that the Cardinals might be interested in him as their next offensive coordinator hold any truth.

San Francisco head coach Mike Singletary fired Martz two days after the season, and I figured he'd just take some time off after wholly unimpressive performances with the 49ers and the Lions. The word on the street suggests otherwise. Of course, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat's Matt Maiocco makes it clear that it's just a rumor, so we should, "take it for what it's worth." Consider it done, Matt.

In anticipation of Cardinals-Steelers, FanHouse takes a look back at some forgotten storylines from past Super Bowls.

Everyone remembers Kevin Dyson stretching out with the football from the one yard-line in a desperate attempt to tie the game in Super Bowl XXXIV as time expired. The Rams won the game, Kurt Warner won the MVP, Dick Vermeil won his only Super Bowl championship, and Vermeil "retired" for Mike Martz to take over as coach.

What many people don't consider about that game is: Why did the Titans only have one timeout on that final drive?

I typically don't follow the 49ers all that closely during the offseason, but I thought it was surprising that they would interview former Broncos and Falcons head coach Dan Reeves for the offensive coordinator job. Partly because he just turned 65 but also because he last coached in the NFL in 2003. (The last time a Bay Area team hired a coach who had been away from the game for some time the results were comically disastrous.)

That San Francisco interviewed Ravens quarterbacks coach Hue Jackson for the same job is less surprising; he has experience as a coordinator and played a big role in Joe Flacco's progress this season.

Now that Scott Pioli has been named the Chiefs' new general manager, Herm Edwards can count on his fingers (and maybe his toes) the days until he's relieved of his head coaching duties.

Kansas City Star columnist Jason Whitlock fired up the Jon Gruden-to-KC bandwagon as soon as the Bucs canned him, although that changed after a brief conversation with Warren Sapp, who played for Gruden from 2002-03.

"He would do a fine job in Kansas City," Sapp told me. "Why not? The thing that would really be exciting for Gruden in KC is that he'd have a strong-armed young quarterback to work with. Hell, Tyler Thigpen damn near saved Herm Edwards' job."

Yes, Thigpen exceeded expectations in Kansas City but let's not just start making stuff up; the Chiefs won twice. All season. I'm pretty sure nobody's job was saved after losing 14 of 16 games.

It appears former St. Louis Rams head coach Scott Linehan is about to find himself a new job, as the 49ers have offered him their offensive coordinator position as reported by Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. Should Linehan accept, he'll become the 49ers' seventh offensive coordinator in the past seven seasons, replacing Mike Martz.

The 49ers were also considering former Browns offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski, as well as Rick Dennison and Clyde Christensen. Linehan was fired as Rams head coach on September 29, compiling an 11-25 record in his three seasons.

Linehan has quite a track record as an offensive coordinator including stints in Minnesota and Miami. As Josh Alper over at PFT points out, Linehan's Minnesota offenses all ranked in the top-five from 2002 to 2004, while the Dolphins showed considerable improvement during his one year on the job in 2005.

Just two days after Mike Singletary was handed a new contract to stay on as the 49ers' head coach, he has already cut ties with offensive coordinator Mike Martz, firing him after just one season in San Francisco. The initial reports following Singletary's hiring were that he would have the power to choose his assistant coaches. Despite this, a report from Jay Glazer of FOX Sports seemed to indicate that he was urged to go in another direction in regards to the offensive coordinator position, which seems to contradict his ability to pick and choose coaches.

Bottom line: Martz is no longer with the 49ers. During his one year with the team, the offense improved from the absolute worst in the league in 2007, to somewhat mediocre in 2008. His biggest failing was probably his loyalty to journeyman backup quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan, and, allegedly, creating ways to keep him on the field. Once O'Sullivan played his way out of the starting job, Shaun Hill proved he was the best option on the roster.

As for Martz, here's what he had to say on the move, from Matt Maiocco of the Press Democrat:

"He wants to run the ball," Martz said in a phone interview from his office. "I'm not what he's looking for on offense. That's his business."

Thanks to a 39-yard Joe Nedney field goal as time expired, the 49ers closed out their season with a 27-24 win over the Washington Redskins on Sunday afternoon. With the victory, San Francisco ends the season with a 7-9 mark, which was capped off with a 5-4 run under interim head coach Mike Singletary.

After some speculation earlier in the week that Singletary would be remaining with the team in 2009, the 49ers confirmed it following Sunday's win, and signed Singletary to a four-year, $10 million contract, as reported by Matt Maiocco of the Press Democrat.

49ers president Jed York on the signing: "This is the last time our season ends in December."

You know, as long as the 49ers play in the NFC West, he might be right. I mean, just look at that division this season, and ask yourself if it's likely to get any better next season. Is it entirely out of the question for this team to enter 2009 as a legitimate contender for the division title? I mean, they only finished two games out this season despite the 2-5 hole Mike Nolan and J.T. O'Sullivan helped them dig over the first seven weeks.