Almost as soon as the St. Louis Rams announced Monday that Mike Martz was out as head coach, they asked the Chicago Bears for permission to talk to Ron Rivera, their defensive coordinator.

Same thing in Houston: The Texans fired Dom Capers and asked Denver for permission to talk to offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak.

Such is the way of the NFL. If there’s a “hot” coaching prospect out there, try to get to him as soon as possible before the competition grabs him.

And there’s a lot of competition this year.

Four coaches were let go on “Black Monday,” the day after the regular season ends and the traditional day for firing coaches. Martz, Capers, Mike Sherman of Green Bay and Jim Haslett of New Orleans were canned.

They join Mike Tice of Minnesota, fired after the Vikings’ final game on Sunday, and Dick Vermeil of Kansas City, who retired Sunday at the age of 69. With the firing of Detroit’s Steve Mariucci in November, that brings the number of vacancies to seven, with the prospect of one more – Norv Turner of Oakland, who could learn his fate today.

That’s not an unusual number, especially since there were just three new coaches this season. Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, an average of 5.9 jobs per year opened up.

None of the firings were surprises.

Haslett’s job has been in question most of the season as the Saints, who finished 3-13, went through a chaotic period in which the team was driven from its home by Hurricane Katrina, settled in San Antonio, and played “home” games in three different stadiums – including its opener at Giants Stadium, home of its opponent, the New York Giants.

The 54-year-old Martz took a medical leave this season after five games because of an infection of the heart lining and was not allowed back on the sidelines, in part because of differences with director of football operations Jay Zygmunt. At the time he left the team, his career record was 56-36, and he had led the Rams to the playoffs four times and to the Super Bowl after the 2001 season.

The list of prospects for the vacancies is long.

Rivera is one of those at the top. Because he is of Hispanic heritage, he also fits the specifications of the “Rooney rule,” which requires that all teams with vacancies interview at least one minority candidate.

Another top prospect in that category is Tim Lewis, defensive coordinator of the New York Giants, who once was a cornerback for Green Bay, and who turned down an interview with Detroit when it hired Mariucci.

Other likely prospects among assistant coaches include Gregg Williams, assistant head coach for defense of the Redskins; offensive coordinator Brad Childress of Philadelphia; and Baltimore offensive coordinator Jim Fassel, who was head coach of the Giants for seven seasons and took them to the Super Bowl after the 2000 season.

Kansas City also appears interested in Herman Edwards, head coach of the New York Jets. Under NFL rules, the Chiefs are free to ask permission to talk to Edwards, and could be asked to give up draft picks if a deal is reached.