Marty Schottenheimer, one of eight head coaches in NFL history to record at least 200 wins, but the only member of that group never to win a championship, died Monday due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease. He was 77.
Schottenheimer spent 21 seasons as an NFL head coach with Cleveland, Kansas City, Washington and San Diego, compiling a record of 200-126-1, punctuated by a smash-mouth brand of conservative football that became known as “Martyball.”
“Marty will rightfully be remembered as one of the greatest coaches in NFL history, but his legacy extends far beyond his winning percentage,” Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said Tuesday in a statement. “He was a passionate leader who cared deeply for his players and coaches, and his influence on the game can still be seen today on a number of coaching staffs around the league.”
With only two losing seasons, Schottenheimer posted an excellent career winning percentage of .613, better than Hall of Famers Bill Walsh, Tom Landry, Bill Parcells, Hank Stram and Chuck Noll. He was the NFL’s Coach of the Year in 2004 with the Chargers after leading the team to a 12-4 record one year after a 4-12 finish.
Still, Schottenheimer’s teams won only five of 18 postseason games, making him the coach with the most regular-season victories without an NFL championship or Super Bowl title.
In his final NFL game in 2007, the Chargers — who went 14-2 in the regular season behind league MVP LaDainian Tomlinson — committed a series of blunders and lost a home playoff game to Tom Brady and the Patriots.
“I never went into a game with Marty as coach feeling like I wasn’t fully prepared to win,” Tomlinson told ESPN. “He really wanted you to understand every detail of the game plan. I considered him a true All-American man. He was a great father figure, and I was fortunate that my wife and I got to know he and [his wife] Pat beyond the typical player and coach relationship. He was a well-rounded human being. He cared more about the man than the athlete. I will remember him more for the life lessons that he taught me.”
Schottenheimer, a Pennsylvania native, played four seasons in the AFL as a linebacker for the Buffalo Bills from 1965-68 – including a league championship in his rookie season — and two more years with the Boston Patriots (1969-70).
His first NFL coaching job actually was as linebackers coach (1975-76) and defensive coordinator (1977) with the Giants, and he also served in the latter capacity with the Browns before they promoted him to head coach in 1984.
Cleveland lost twice in heartbreaking fashion in the AFC Championship game to John Elway and the Denver Broncos in back-to-back years in 1986-87. Schottenheimer’s teams with the Kansas City Chiefs were knocked out in their first playoff game five times, and he never reached a Super Bowl despite his vast regular-season successes.
“I think the worst thing anyone can do is spend time worrying about something they missed out on,” Schottenheimer once said. “Disappointment? Sure. But I never let it consume me. It’s been a great journey.”
His son, Brian Schottenheimer also became an NFL coach, serving as the offensive coordinator with the Jets, the St. Louis Rams and for the last three seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. He was hired last month as the quarterbacks coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Marty Schottenheimer, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2014, had been placed in hospice care last week and died Monday surrounded by family near his home in North Carolina. He also is survived by his wife of 54 years, Pat, his daughter Kristen and four grandchildren.