Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz will not return to the team in 2012, according to a report by ESPN's Adam Schefter. Martz, whose contract is up at the end of the season, is reportedly interested in the open head coaching jobs at both UCLA and Arizona State.
For now, it's unknown how serious of a contender Martz is for either job. UCLA, after being turned down by Boise State's Chris Petersen, reportedly has their sights on University of Miami coach Al Golden. It has also been reported that the Bruins will make a run at Houston's Kevin Sumlin, who is currently the hottest name on the college coaching market. Arizona State meanwhile, reportedly has serious interest in current SMU, and ex-Hawaii coach, June Jones.
Mike Martz is entering the final year of his contract as the offensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears after rejecting a one-year, $1 million extension last off-season. The Bears currently boast the best offense they've had in some time -- or at least they did until quarterback Jay Cutler went down -- but at times their success feels in spite of Martz, not because of him. Still, after the rotating cast of baboons that held down Chicago's OC position in the recent past, the Bears would likely love to keep Martz around for another season.
They may not get their wish, though. Martz has down interested from UCLA and Arizona State, a pair of Pac-12 schools with head coaching openings. When asked Monday, Martz remained mum on the subject.
"You know, anything about those kinds of things, I would never discuss," he said Wednesday. "I have a job, and this job is the only one I can discuss. It would be very inappropriate for me to talk about anything like that.''
Martz could also be a candidate for the Jacksonville Jaguars job after Jack Del Rio was recently dismissed as head coach.
