The Most Underachieving NFL Head Coaches Ever For All 32 Teams
By Erik Lambert
Mike Martz (Los Angeles Rams)
When Dick Vermeil retired after the 1999 season which culminated in a Super Bowl title, it’s not like he was leaving his successor with nothing. The Rams were a loaded football team, especially on offense. They had young star talent everywhere, an emerging Hall of Famer at quarterback and not to mention some pretty good pieces on defense. There was still plenty of time for this group to go get another championship.
Mike Martz was handed the keys. It was his offense and there was no sense it fixing what wasn’t broken. However, it became clear that Martz was a different coach. While he was still a terrific offensive mind and scored points in bunches, he had a stubbornness to him that could get him in trouble not just during games but in regards to how he handled his players.
He had a tendency to press too hard at times, and it ended up ruining his tenure. He should’ve won the Super Bowl in 2001 but his inability to adjust to the Patriots defensive game plan until late in the game was too little, too late. Then the defense began to fall apart, leading to a series of painful playoff exits over the next few seasons.