30 best NFL head coaching hires of the 21st century

If you look at the numbers, Mike Martz had an above-average stint as an NFL head coach. It only lasted six seasons, all with the St. Louis Rams. And yet, upon closer inspection, it’s easy to understand why he deserves to be on this list.

Really, it all comes down to one season. Martz was the mind behind “The Greatest Show on Turf”, featuring one of the NFL’s all-time greatest offenses led by Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk and Torry Holt. That year, Warner won NFL MVP, as he engineered a tremendous 14-2 campaign that led the Rams all the way to the Super Bowl.

Unfortunately, that loss was a particularly tough one to swallow.

As you probably know, the Rams fell just short, losing a heartbreaker to the New England Patriots thanks to a last-second field goal by Adam Vinatieri. Warner, Faulk and the rest of the team played their hearts out for the old ball coach, but it wasn’t enough in what wound up becoming the beginning of a dynasty for the Patriots.

Martz’s time with the team may have been short considering the amount of success he had. Still, Martz managed four playoff appearances and a trip to the Super Bowl in only six years. Not too shabby, all things considered.