Chicago Bears Settle For..er…Hire Mike Martz

The search is over!!! (Well, half of it at least.)

After interviewing–or trying to interview–several other offensive coordinator candidates, the Chicago Bears have hired the man whose name first popped up on the radar when Ron Turner was fired: Mike Martz.

Martz was the architect behind “The Greatest Show On Turf,” the offense of the 1999 Super Bowl champion St. Louis Rams and later became the team’s head coach. Lovie Smith served as his defensive coordinator from 2001-2003. More recently he has served as the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions (2006-2007) and the San Francisco 49ers (2008).

Rumor has it that Martz has been Lovie’s guy from the start, but Jerry Angelo had concerns about the hire so the Bears began looking elsewhere. Of course, the position turned out to be harder to fill than anyone imagined. When the team announces the Martz hire, they’ll likely say they wanted him all along, despite rumors suggesting otherwise.

Chicago Bears Continue Seemingly Endless Coordinator Search

It’s been over three weeks since the Chicago Bears began their search for new offensive and defensive coordinators. Candidates like Jeremy Bates, Perry Fewell, Ken Zampese, Rob Chudzinski and Hue Jackson have come and gone (or, in some cases, never came at all), and the search is no closer to resolution.

It’s no secret that the 2010 season is Lovie Smith’s last chance to win or get out, and most agree that the job security of any new coordinator will be predicated on Smith’s success. Is it worth picking up and moving to a new city for a job that will likely last just one year–especially a job with so many restrictions. A new defensive coordinator would essentially be a puppet for Smith, carrying out his defensive scheme and acting with little to no authority.  A new offensive coordinator would essentially be a puppet for Jay Cutler, who has gone through three oc’s in three years. Neither position is ideal for a guy looking to move up the coaching ranks.