Marty Schottenheimer

Early life and college career

Schottenheimer was born in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.

Schottenheimer attended high school at Fort Cherry High School in McDonald, Pennsylvania. He went to the University of Pittsburgh and played on their football team from 1961 to 1964, earning second-team All-American honors as a senior.

Professional career

Schottenheimer, a linebacker, was selected in the fourth round of the 1965 NFL draft by the Baltimore Colts and in the seventh round of the 1965 American Football League draft by the Buffalo Bills. He signed with the Bills and spent the next four seasons with Buffalo, including as a backup on the Bills' 1965 AFL Championship squad. Schottenheimer earned an AFL All-Star selection as part of that year's format change naming the entire Bills squad as All-Stars. Schottenheimer was still with the team during the 1969 preseason and intercepted two passes in a game against the Houston Oilers.

Some time between the 1969 preseason and regular season, Schottenheimer was sent to the Boston Patriots and spent the next two seasons with the Patriots. He was traded twice in two months prior to the start of the 1971 season, first to the Pittsburgh Steelers for Mike Haggerty in July, then to the Baltimore Colts for an undisclosed 1972 draft pick on 27 August.

Schottenheimer retired from football in 1971 and spent the next several years working in the real estate industry. He came out of retirement in 1974 to sign with the Portland Storm of the World Football League as a player-coach. He injured his shoulder prior to the start of the season, but stayed on with the Storm as their linebackers coach.

Coaching career

Schottenheimer's professional coaching career began in 1974 when he became linebackers coach for the Portland Storm of the World Football League. In 1975, he was hired as a linebackers coach for the NFL's New York Giants and in 1977 became defensive coordinator. Schottenheimer spent 1978 and 1979 as the linebackers coach for the NFL's Detroit Lions.

Cleveland Browns

In 1980, he was hired as the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns. On October 22, 1984, Schottenheimer replaced Sam Rutigliano as Browns head coach, after an October 7 game against the New England Patriots that bore an eerie resemblance to Cleveland's 1980 playoff loss to the Raiders, known as Red Right 88. The Browns were down 17–16 in the fourth quarter, and lost on an interception in New England's end zone as time expired. Chants of "Goodbye Sam" rang out from the stands after the New England game. Browns' owner Art Modell called the play-calling "inexcusable" and fired Rutigliano two weeks later. The 1–7 Browns then went 4–4 under Schottenheimer to finish the season with a 5–11 record.

The selection of University of Miami quarterback Bernie Kosar in 1985's supplemental draft helped usher in a new, largely successful era for Cleveland. With Schottenheimer, Kosar and many skilled players on offense and defense, the team achieved greater success than during the era of Rutigliano and former quarterback Brian Sipe. Though they became consistent playoff contenders in this era, the Browns did not reach the Super Bowl, falling one win short three times in the next four seasons.

While not stellar, the Browns' record won first place in a weak AFC Central in 1985, and the team looked poised to shock the heavily favored Miami Dolphins in a divisional playoff game on January 4, 1986. Cleveland surged to a 21–3 halftime lead, and it took a spirited second-half comeback by Dan Marino and the Dolphins to win it 24–21 and end the Browns' season. Despite the loss, many people expected Cleveland to be back the following year. "The Browns' days, the good days, are here and ahead of us", radio personality Pete Franklin said.

Despite a tumultuous offseason, 1986 marked Cleveland's entry into the ranks of the NFL's elite as Kosar's play improved and the defensive unit came together. Kosar threw for 3,854 yards to a corps of receivers that included Brian Brennan, Ozzie Newsome and rookie Webster Slaughter. On defense, cornerbacks Frank Minnifield and Hanford Dixon emerged as one of the NFL's premier pass-defending duos. After a slow start, the Browns rose to the top of the divisional standings, twice beating the Pittsburgh Steelers and ending a 16-game losing streak at Three Rivers Stadium. A 12–4 record earned Cleveland home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Browns' first opponents in the 1986 playoffs were the New York Jets. Kicker Mark Moseley made a field goal and won the game for the Browns 23–20. It was the team's first playoff victory in 17 years. The following week, the Browns matched up against the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship game in Cleveland. Denver got out to an early lead, but Cleveland tied the game and then went ahead 20–13 in the fourth quarter. After the ensuing kickoff, the Broncos were pinned at their own 2-yard line with 5:32 remaining. Denver quarterback John Elway then engineered a 98-yard drive for a touchdown with the cold, whipping wind in his face. "The Drive", as the series came to be known, tied the score and sent the game into overtime. Cleveland received the ball first in the sudden-death period but was stopped by the Denver defense. On Denver's first possession, Elway again led the Broncos on a long drive ending with a Rich Karlis field goal that sailed just inside the left upright and won the game. The drive that tied the game has since come to be seen as one of the best in playoff history, and is remembered by Cleveland fans as a historic meltdown.

Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs' general manager Carl Peterson named Schottenheimer head coach on January 24, 1989.

In 1990, Schottenheimer's Chiefs got out of the starting gate quickly, winning three of their first four games. The club then struggled, splitting its next six contests. In an inspiring Veterans Day performance against Seattle, the Seahawks miraculously won, 17–16. That loss brought on the furious stretch run which saw the club record victories in six of its last seven outings. The Chiefs clinched their first post-season berth since 1986 with a 24–21 win at San Diego and finished the year at 11–5, marking the franchise's best finish since 1969. The Chiefs suffered a heart-breaking, 17–16 loss at Miami on January 5, 1991, in an AFC wild card game.

A 27–21 victory against the Los Angeles Raiders in the 1991 regular season finale gave the Chiefs the right to host the Raiders just six days later in the inaugural post-season game in Arrowhead's history, and the Chiefs' first home playoff game in 20 years. Thanks to six Los Angeles turnovers, the Chiefs registered their first post-season victory since Super Bowl IV with a 10–6 win in an AFC Wild Card Game on December 28. The following week, the Chiefs lost a 37–14 decision at Buffalo on January 5, 1992, in an AFC Divisional Playoff match-up as the Buffalo Bills' dynamic offense proved to be too much for the Chiefs.

The Chiefs got off to a 3–1 start in 1992, but was faced with a 4–4 record at the season's midpoint. Despite four consecutive victories, the club's post-season hopes still came down to the season's final contest. Owning a 9–6 record and needing one more victory to secure a playoff berth, the Chiefs defense tallied three touchdowns, as Kansas City claimed a 42–20 win against Denver to finish the season at 10–6. Despite the big win against the Denver Broncos, the Chiefs made a quick exit from the playoffs as quarterback Dave Krieg was sacked 7 times in a 17–0 AFC Wild Card loss against the San Diego Chargers on January 2, 1993.

The Chiefs spent the 1993 off-season installing the "West Coast offense" under the direction of new offensive coordinator Paul Hackett, who at one time served as quarterbacks coach to Joe Montana in San Francisco. On April 20, the Chiefs traded for Joe Montana, who directed the 49ers to four Super Bowl victories in the previous decade. On June 9, the club signed unrestricted free agent running back Marcus Allen, who had spent 11 seasons playing against the Chiefs as a member of the rival Raiders. Montana and Allen made their debuts in a 27–3 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 5, marking Montana's first Opening Day appearance since 1990. Before taking the field in a Sunday night contest at Minnesota on December 26, the team learned it had clinched its first AFC West title since 1971 thanks to a Raiders loss earlier in the day. The team finished the season with an 11–5 regular season record, marking the club's fourth consecutive year with a double-digit victory tally.

Washington Redskins

From 1999 to 2000, Schottenheimer worked as a football analyst for ESPN, where he sometimes criticized Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder for being meddlesome. In a surprise to many observers, Schottenheimer was hired as head coach and head of football operations of the Redskins in 2001. Schottenheimer's Redskins became the first-team in NFL history to win five consecutive games immediately after losing its first five games. One of the Redskins' losses was a 45–13 loss to Schottenheimer's former team, the Chiefs. The Redskins won eight of their final eleven games to narrowly miss the postseason, matching the 8–8 record from the team's previous year, but moving up in the NFC East. Despite this, Snyder fired Schottenheimer on January 13, 2002. The team would regress under his successor Steve Spurrier, dropping to losing records during his two seasons at the helm.

San Diego Chargers

The San Diego Chargers hired Schottenheimer in 2002 following consecutive last-place finishes in the AFC West under Mike Riley. Schottenheimer's success did not come immediately, as the team posted a 4–12 record in 2003, thereby receiving the first overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft. Projected first overall pick Eli Manning also refused to play for the Chargers, although the team drafted him as part of a trade deal with the New York Giants to receive quarterback Philip Rivers, who had impressed Schottenheimer, in addition to three further draft picks.

Despite the slow start, Schottenheimer experienced his greatest regular season successes in San Diego. Following the 4–12 season, Schottenheimer led the Chargers to a 12–4 record and AFC West title in 2004, earning him NFL Coach of the Year honors. The season was the Chargers' first winning record and playoff berth since 1995 and their first division title since 1994. In 2006, Schottenheimer led the Chargers to a franchise-best 14–2 record, also his best regular season record and the league's best record that year. This regular season dominance, aided by the MVP season of running back LaDainian Tomlinson, secured top seeding for San Diego in the postseason.

However, both playoff runs would end in upsets during the Chargers' opener. In the Wild Card round of the 2004–05 postseason, the Chargers fell to the underdog New York Jets in overtime 20–17. Although the Chargers managed to rally back from a 17–7 deficit to force overtime, San Diego placekicker Nate Kaeding missed a field goal that would have won the game, leading to the Jets winning off a Doug Brien field goal. The 24–21 defeat to the New England Patriots in the 2006–07 Divisional Round proved to be even more devastating after the Chargers committed two critical miscues that caused them to surrender their 21–13 lead in the fourth quarter. While still leading by eight points, Chargers safety Marlon McCree caught a potential-game sealing interception on a Patriots' fourth down, but fumbled after attempting to return his interception. The Patriots recovered the fumble to obtain a new set of downs that led to them tying the game and taking the lead on their next drive. A final Chargers drive put them in position to force overtime off a field goal, but Kaeding missed the 54-yard attempt to secure the Patriots' victory. These two losses brought Schottenheimer's playoff record to 5–13.

Three days after the loss to New England, Chargers president Dean Spanos announced that Schottenheimer would return for the final year of his contract, but Schottenheimer declined a one-year extension for 2008 worth $4.5 million. However, despite the earlier announcement and the 14–2 season, Schottenheimer was abruptly fired by San Diego on February 12, 2007. Spanos cited the recent changes to Schottenheimer's coaching staff and the "dysfunction" between Schottenheimer and general manager A. J. Smith. The former rationale from Spanos was based on offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips leaving for head coaching positions, while tight ends coach Rob Chudzinski and linebackers coach Greg Manusky departed for coordinator roles. Schottenheimer found it unfair to be blamed for the coaching turnover, noting that assistants cannot be blocked from interviewing for head coach positions.

Virginia Destroyers

In March 2011, the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League (UFL) hired Schottenheimer to be their first head coach and general manager, at the age of 67. In order to lure Schottenheimer to the Destroyers, league majority owner William Hambrecht personally guaranteed he would pay Schottenheimer's $1.1 million salary for the eight-game season. He led the Destroyers to a 4–1 record in the shortened 2011 regular season, earning a playoff berth with home-field advantage in his first season. Schottenheimer's efforts earned him the 2011 United Football League Coach of the Year award. His starting running back, Dominic Rhodes, was also named the MVP of the 2011 UFL season.

On October 21, 2011, the Destroyers derailed the two-time defending UFL champion Las Vegas Locomotives 17–3 in the 2011 UFL championship game at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex. It was Schottenheimer's first championship as a coach.

Schottenheimer abruptly resigned from the Destroyers shortly before the 2012 season, citing discomfort over unspecified issues facing the team that season and the failure of the team to meet also-unspecified conditions for his return. Schottenheimer later sued Hambrecht after not receiving any of the money he was owed. He received a settlement of approximately $800,000 in the lawsuit.

Coaching philosophy and legacy

During his head coaching tenure, Schottenheimer's coaching strategy became known as Martyball. It emphasized a strong running game, a passing game that limited turnovers, and an aggressive defense. A conservative style, it was criticized for its blandness and it prevented Schottenheimer from winning big games, because he consistently played not to lose. While Schottenheimer's teams won eight division titles and made the playoffs 13 times in his 21 seasons, they never reached the Super Bowl. His three AFC Championship Game appearances all ended in defeat and after losing his third AFC Championship, Schottenheimer's final five playoff runs resulted in eliminations in the first game for his teams. Schottenheimer coached 3 teams to number 1 seeds and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs (1995 Chiefs, 1997 Chiefs, and 2006 Chargers); all three went one-and-done in the Divisional Playoffs. All three teams also went undefeated at home in the regular season prior to the playoffs.

Schottenheimer's tenure as an NFL head coach concluded with 205 career wins and 200 regular season wins, both which are the most of a head coach to not reach or win an NFL championship. He is the only NFL head coach with at least 200 regular season wins to have a losing playoff record, not win a championship, and not be inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. At the time of his retirement, he ranked fifth in regular season wins, behind only Hall of Fame coaches Don Shula, George Halas, Tom Landry, and Curly Lambeau. Schottenheimer currently ranks seventh in regular season wins and eighth in career wins.

Despite the postseason struggles of Schottenheimer's teams, a 2013 NFL.com article found that the regular season success and stability he brought was lost with his departures; teams that previously employed him would go on to hire a combined 17 full-time coaches and all had losing records at the time of the article. Fellow NFL coach and former Schottenheimer assistant Herm Edwards said that his playoff record "probably detracts [from his legacy] in the minds of some people, but I know it doesn't in the minds of people who have coached against him".

At Bill Cowher's Hall of Fame induction in 2021, Cowher said of Schottenheimer’s legacy and impact on the NFL: "He was a master motivator, a stickler for detail and for him, it all started with preparation. This man has not only influenced the game, but he’s influenced anybody who has ever played for him, coached with him or coached against him, and I speak on behalf of many: Thank you coach, you did so much for so many, for so long. One day you will be in the Hall of Fame."

Coaching tree

Many of Marty Schottenheimer's former assistant coaches have gone on to become NFL head coaches themselves. The list is as follows:

Lindy Infante – Green Bay Packers (1988–1991), Indianapolis Colts (1996–1997)

Bill Cowher – Pittsburgh Steelers (1992–2006)

Tony Dungy – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1996–2001), Indianapolis Colts (2002–2008)

Gunther Cunningham – Kansas City Chiefs (1999–2000)

Herm Edwards – New York Jets (2001–2005), Kansas City Chiefs (2006–2008)

Mike McCarthy – Green Bay Packers (2006–2018), Dallas Cowboys (2020–2024), Pittsburgh Steelers (2026-present)

Art Shell – Oakland Raiders (1989–94, 2006)

Wade Phillips – Dallas Cowboys (2007–2010), Houston Texans (2013, interim)

Cam Cameron – Miami Dolphins (2007)

Tony Sparano – Miami Dolphins (2008–2011), Oakland Raiders (2014, interim)

Hue Jackson – Oakland Raiders (2011), Cleveland Browns (2016–2018)

Bruce Arians – Indianapolis Colts (2012, interim), Arizona Cardinals (2013–2017), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2019–2021)

Rob Chudzinski – Cleveland Browns (2013)

Marc Trestman – Chicago Bears (2013–2014)

Personal life

Schottenheimer married his wife in 1968. They lived on Lake Norman in North Carolina and had two children, a daughter and a son. His son Brian is the Dallas Cowboys head coach.

Health and death

In 2011, Schottenheimer was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. By the time the diagnosis was announced publicly in 2016, it had progressed slowly and he still maintained much of his memory and function, with him about to begin experimental treatment to slow the progression of the disease even further. In December 2018, Schottenheimer was still able to travel and made a brief pre-recorded speech supporting Chiefs head coach Andy Reid after Reid surpassed him in coaching wins. On February 3, 2021, his family announced he had been put into hospice care the previous Saturday. He died five days later on February 8, 2021, in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the age of 77.

Head coaching record

UFL

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