Ex-Bears OC Martz retiring to pursue other opportunities

Mike Martz is retiring from coaching.

The former Chicago Bears offensive coordinator contacted me Monday to confirm that he's ending his distinguished coaching career in order to focus on other opportunities.

Martz, a former NFL head coach and longtime offensive coordinator, helped the St. Louis Rams win Super Bowl XXXIV. He is famous for his innovative schemes and orchestrating "The Greatest Show on Turf" offense while in St. Louis.

Martz, 60, spent the past two seasons running the Chicago Bears' offense and helped lead the team to the 2010 NFC Championship Gam. He turned down a contract extension last year and resigned from the Bears after the season, citing "philosophical differences."

Martz took over as the Rams' head coach in 2000 after Dick Vermeil retired following the Super Bowl victory over the Tennessee Titans. The Rams returned to the Super Bowl the following year but lost to the New England Patriots.

The Rams only had one subsequent season with a winning record under Martz. He took a leave of absence for health reasons after five games of the 2005 season and didn't return, finishing with a 53-32 record in five years as the Rams' coach.

Martz was the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator from 2006 to 2007, then served in the same position for the San Francisco 49ers in 2008. He took a break from coaching in 2009 and was an analyst for NFL Network.

Follow Jason La Canfora on Twitter @JasonLaCanfora.