Martin Edward Schottenheimer (; September 23, 1943 – February 8, 2021) was an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
and coach who served as a head coach in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) from 1984 to 2006. He was the head coach of the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
for 10 seasons, the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
and the
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
for five each, and the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
for one. Eighth in career wins at 205 and seventh in regular season wins at 200, Schottenheimer has the most wins of an NFL head coach to not win a championship. After coaching in the NFL, he won a
2011 championship in his one season with the
Virginia Destroyers
The Virginia Destroyers were a professional American football team based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. They began play in the United Football League (UFL) in the 2011 season. They played their home games at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex.
The tea ...
of the
United Football League (UFL). He was inducted to the
Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2010.
Schottenheimer's tenure as an NFL head coach was marked by consistent regular season success and postseason struggles. In his 21 seasons, he reached the playoffs 13 times and had only two losing records. He also was named
NFL Coach of the Year
The National Football League Coach of the Year Award is presented annually by various news and sports organizations to the National Football League (NFL) head coach who has done the most outstanding job of working with the talent he has at his disp ...
with the Chargers in 2004 for leading a team that went 4–12 the previous year to a 12–4 record. However, Schottenheimer won only five of his 18 postseason games and never advanced beyond the conference championship round of the playoffs. Schottenheimer concluded his NFL career with a .613 regular season winning percentage, but a .278 playoff winning percentage, which is the only losing playoff record for an NFL coach with 200 wins. He is the only eligible NFL coach with 200 regular season wins who has not been inducted to the
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coach ...
.
Early life and playing career
Schottenheimer was born in
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
Canonsburg is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, southwest of Pittsburgh. Canonsburg was laid out by Colonel John Canon in 1789 and incorporated in 1802. The population was 9,735 at the 2020 census. The town li ...
.
He attended high school at Fort Cherry High School in
McDonald, Pennsylvania
McDonald is a borough in Allegheny and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, 18 miles (29 km) southwest of Pittsburgh. The population was 2,056 at the 2020 census. Of this, 1,661 were in Washington County, and 395 were in A ...
. He went to the
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...
and played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
for the
Pitt Panthers
The Pittsburgh Panthers, commonly also referred to as the Pitt Panthers, are the athletic teams representing the University of Pittsburgh, although the term is colloquially used to refer to other aspects of the university such as alumni, facu ...
from 1962 to 1964, earning second-team
All-American honors as a senior. 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
The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. ...
draft by the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
.
He signed with the Bills and spent the next four seasons with Buffalo, including as a backup on the Bills' 1965
AFL Championship
For its first nine seasons, 1960 through 1968, the American Football League determined its champion via a single playoff game between the winners of its two divisions (although ties in the standings in 1963 (Eastern) and 1968 (Western) necessitat ...
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
The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 a ...
.
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 to the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
in July 1971 for
Mike Haggerty. He was traded again to the Colts before the beginning of the
1971 season for an undisclosed draft pick.
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
The Portland Thunder (originally Portland Storm) was an American football team in the World Football League based out of Portland, Oregon. When the World Football League was created in October 1973, the Storm was the original New York franchise. ...
of the
World Football League
The World Football League (WFL) was an American football league that played one full season in 1974 and most of its second in 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest t ...
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
The Portland Thunder (originally Portland Storm) was an American football team in the World Football League based out of Portland, Oregon. When the World Football League was created in October 1973, the Storm was the original New York franchise. ...
of the
World Football League
The World Football League (WFL) was an American football league that played one full season in 1974 and most of its second in 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest t ...
. In 1975, he was hired as a linebackers coach for the NFL's
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
and in 1977 became
defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator is a coach responsible for a gridiron football (American football) team's defense. Generally, the defensive coordinator, the offensive coordinator and the special teams coordinator represent the second level of a team's c ...
. Schottenheimer spent 1978 and 1979 as the linebackers coach for the NFL's
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
.
Cleveland Browns
In 1980, he was hired as the defensive coordinator for the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
. On October 22,
1984, Schottenheimer replaced
Sam Rutigliano
Sam William Rutigliano (born July 1, 1931) is a former American football coach and current television football analyst for WEWS, the ABC affiliate in Cleveland. He served as the head coach for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football Leag ...
as Browns head coach, after an October 7 game against the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
that bore an eerie resemblance to Cleveland's 1980 playoff loss to the Raiders, known as
Red Right 88
Red Right 88 was a passing play called by the Cleveland Browns during the January 4, 1981 American Football Conference divisional playoff game against the Oakland Raiders; in the years since, the term has been used to refer to the game itself an ...
. 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
Arthur Bertram Modell (June 23, 1925 – September 6, 2012) was an American businessman, entrepreneur and National Football League team owner. He owned the Cleveland Browns franchise for 35 years and established the Baltimore Ravens franchis ...
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
The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, incl ...
quarterback
Bernie Kosar
Bernard Joseph Kosar Jr. (born November 25, 1963) is a former American football quarterback who played collegiately at the University of Miami where he led the team to a national championship in 1983. He subsequently played professionally in ...
in 1985's
supplemental draft
The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...
ushered in a new, largely successful era for Cleveland. With Schottenheimer, Kosar and a cast of talented players on offense and defense, the team reached greater heights than Rutigliano and former quarterback
Brian Sipe
Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world.
It is possible that the name is derived from an Old Celtic word me ...
ever did. 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 late 1980s.
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 off season, 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
Brian Michael Brennan (born February 15, 1962) is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fourth round of the 1984 NFL Draft. He graduated from Brother Rice High School (Michigan).http://ww ...
,
Ozzie Newsome
Ozzie Newsome Jr. (born March 16, 1956) is an American former professional football player and executive who is the executive vice president of player personnel of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Newsome was a tight e ...
and rookie
Webster Slaughter
Webster Melvin Slaughter (born October 19, 1964) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) from 1986 to 1998.
Early life
Slaughter was born in Stockton, California, where ...
. On defense, cornerbacks
Frank Minnifield
Frank LyDale Minnifield (born January 1, 1960) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a defensive back for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League (NFL) from 1984 to 1992.
High school career
M ...
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
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL).
Built ...
. 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
Mark DeWayne Moseley (born March 12, 1948) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played for Philadelphia Eagles (1970), the Houston Oilers (1971–7 ...
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
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
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
The Drive was an offensive series in the fourth quarter of the 1986 AFC Championship Game played on January 11, 1987, at Cleveland Municipal Stadium between the Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns. Broncos quarterback John Elway, in a span of 5 ...
", 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
Richard John Karlis (born May 23, 1959) is a former American football placekicker who played nine seasons for the Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, and Detroit Lions in the National Football League from 1982 to 1990. He played college football at ...
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.
Although downtrodden by 1986's playoff defeat, Cleveland continued to win the following season. The Browns finished with a 10–5 record in 1987 and won the AFC Central for the third year in a row. In the divisional playoff round, the Browns faced the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
and won 38–21. The win set up a rematch with the Broncos in the AFC Championship in Denver. The Broncos held a 21–3 lead at halftime, but a pair of rushing touchdowns and another by receiver
Reggie Langhorne brought Cleveland to within seven points. Cleveland scored again in the fourth quarter, but the Broncos went ahead again by seven points on a touchdown with four minutes left. After Denver's kickoff, Kosar and the offense reached the Broncos' eight-yard line with 1:12 remaining. Kosar handed the ball to Earnest Byner on a second down. Byner ran left and broke inside with a clear path to the end zone, but was stripped by Denver's
Jeremiah Castille
Jeremiah Castille ( ; born January 15, 1961 in Columbus, Georgia) is a former American professional football cornerback from the University of Alabama, Castille was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He ...
just before crossing the goal line. The Broncos ran down the clock before intentionally taking a
safety
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
There are ...
and winning 38–33. "
The Fumble
''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...
" quickly entered the lexicon of the Browns' modern-era disappointment, just as The Drive had a year before.
The 1988 season was marred by injuries to the Browns' quarterbacks. But despite the rotating cast of quarterbacks, Cleveland managed to finish with a 10–6 record and made the playoffs as a wild-card team. Cleveland met the Houston Oilers in the wild-card playoff round at home, and soon found themselves attempting to win with third-string quarterback
Mike Pagel
Michael Jonathan Pagel (born September 13, 1960) is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Baltimore Colts in the fourth round of the 1982 NFL Draft. A 6'2", quarterback from Arizona State, Pagel played in 12 NF ...
after an injury to second stringer
Don Strock
Donald Joseph Strock (born November 27, 1950) is a former American football player and coach. He played professionally as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) with the Miami Dolphins (1973–1987), Cleveland Browns (1988), and Ind ...
. Pagel put up a valiant effort, but the team lost the game 24–23. Four days after the Oilers loss, Schottenheimer and Modell announced that the coach would leave the team by mutual consent. Modell felt hiring an offensive coordinator was necessary to keep pace with the Oilers and the Bengals, a pair of divisional opponents then on the rise, but Schottenheimer said it "became evident that some of the differences we had, we weren't going to be able to resolve."
Modell also wanted Schottenheimer's brother
Kurt, who was the defensive coordinator, reassigned.
[
Schottenheimer remained with the Browns until 1988, amassing a 44–27 (.620) regular-season record and a 2–4 (.333) mark in the playoffs, including four playoff appearances, three ]AFC Central
The American Football Conference – Northern Division or AFC North is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division was adopted after the restructuring of the 2002 NFL ...
Division titles, and two trips to the AFC Championship Game (both against the Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
).
Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
' general manager Carl Peterson
Carl D. Peterson (born May 26, 1943) For more than 50 years, Carl Peterson was a creative force in the world of American Football, starting at the high school level, through small college ball, to major college football, and on to professional fo ...
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
Veterans Day (originally known as Armistice Day) is a federal holiday in the United States observed annually on November 11, for honoring military veterans of the United States Armed Forces (who were discharged under conditions other than d ...
performance against Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, 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
The Los Angeles Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Los Angeles from 1982 to 1994 before relocating back to Oakland, California, where the team played from its inaugural 1960 season to the 1981 season and then agai ...
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 Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
, the Chiefs made a quick exit from the playoffs as quarterback Dave Krieg
David Michael Krieg ( ; born October 20, 1958) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He attended Milton College in his home state of Wisconsin and made the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent. ...
was sacked 7 times in a 17–0 AFC Wild Card loss against the San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
on January 2, 1993.
The Chiefs spent the 1993 off-season installing the "West Coast offense
In American football, the West Coast offense is an offense that places a greater emphasis on passing than on running.
There are two similar but distinct offensive strategic systems that are commonly referred to as "West Coast offenses". Original ...
" under the direction of new offensive coordinator Paul Hackett, who at one time served as quarterbacks coach to Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Comeback Kid", ...
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
Marcus LeMarr Allen (born March 26, 1960) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Los Angeles Raiders. Considered one of the greatest goal line and short- ...
, 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
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
on September 5, marking Montana's first Opening Day appearance since 1990. Before taking the field in a Sunday night contest at Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
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.
Kansas City got its first true taste of "Montana Magic" as the Hall of Fame passer engineered a brilliant comeback in a 27–24 overtime win in an AFC Wild Card thriller against the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
on January 8, 1994. Next, the Chiefs traveled to the Astrodome
The NRG Astrodome, also known as the Houston Astrodome or simply the Astrodome, is the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, located in Houston, Texas. It was financed and assisted in development by Roy Hofheinz, mayor of Houston ...
to face the red-hot Houston Oilers
The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 a ...
, who had won 11 straight games to conclude the regular season. The heavily favored Oilers opened up a 13–7 lead in the fourth quarter, but once again, Montana conjured a comeback, guiding the club to a 28–20 victory. The Chiefs playoff journey ended as the club made its initial AFC Championship Game appearance against the Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
on January 23. Montana was knocked out of the contest early in the second half as Buffalo claimed its record fourth straight AFC title by a score of 30–13.
After starting the 1994 season 3–0, the Chiefs dropped back-to-back games before snapping an 11-game losing streak against Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
at Mile High Stadium on October 17 in a memorable Monday night contest. The Chiefs found themselves at 8–7 faced with a do-or-die regular season finale against the Raiders. At 9–7, Kansas City qualified for the playoffs for a fifth straight season. However, the Chiefs made a rapid departure from the playoffs in Montana's final professional contest at Miami on New Year's Eve
In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...
. Montana and Dolphins' quarterback Dan Marino conducted a masterful first-half duel that ended deadlocked at 17–17, but Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
eventually prevailed by a 27–17 count.
Montana announced his retirement from football after 16 years in the NFL on April 18, 1995 and Steve Bono
Steven Christopher Bono (born May 11, 1962) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League.
Collegiate career
Bono attended the University of California at Los Angeles, where he received a degree in sociology. As a B ...
was promoted to the starting job. Immediately, the media predicted much gloom and doom for the 1995 Chiefs under Bono, leading Schottenheimer to quip during training camp that his club had been picked "sixth in a five-team division". Led by Bono, who merited a Pro Bowl berth, Kansas City posted an NFL-best 13–3 record with unblemished 8–0 marks in the AFC West and at Arrowhead. The Chiefs led the NFL in rushing offense (138.9 ypg), scoring defense (15.1 ppg) and turnover ratio (+12). A 24–3 win at Arizona on October 1 featured a surreal, 76-yard TD run on a bootleg by Bono as the Chiefs initiated a seven-game winning streak, the franchise's longest since 1969. Kansas City clinched a division title with a 29–23 victory at Oakland
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third largest city overall in the Bay A ...
on December 3 en route to a franchise-best 13–3 regular season record and a team-record sixth consecutive postseason berth. The Chiefs were represented by seven players in the Pro Bowl, more than any other AFC team. In the playoffs, the Chiefs dropped an AFC Divisional Playoff Game against the underdog Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
on January 7, a blustery afternoon with the temperature at 11 degrees and a wind chill of −9. Three interceptions and three missed field goals from placekicker Lin Elliot contributed to the 10–7 loss at Arrowhead.
Kansas City entered the 1996 campaign with essentially the same lineup as the club boasted in 1995 and were featured on the cover of ''Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
'' along with Green Bay as pre-season Super Bowl favorites. The club started the season with a 4–0 record for the first time in team history, but the season's lofty expectations came crashing down as the squad lost three of its next four games. A three-game winning streak, including a victory over the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
, put the club back in post-season contention at 8–3. Needing just one more win to qualify for the playoffs, the Chiefs dropped their next two games: a 24–19 loss against Indianapolis
Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
and a 20–9 loss to the Bills. The Chiefs finished with a 9–7 record, missing the postseason for the first time since 1989 after the AFC's final Wild Card spot went to the Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
, who won a tiebreaker with Kansas City.
Kansas City dramatically retooled its roster in 1997, beginning with the signing of free agent quarterback Elvis Grbac
Elvis M. Grbac (born August 13, 1970) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, most notably with the Kansas City Chiefs. He played college football at Michigan, where he won the ...
on March 17. In addition to Grbac, the Chiefs lineup featured 11 new starters. All the new faces quickly formed a cohesive unit as the Chiefs posted a 13–3 record, an 8–0 Arrowhead record and their second AFC West title in three years. The Chiefs led the NFL in scoring defense, allowing a mere 14.5 points per game. The 232 total points permitted by the Chiefs in 1997 were the lowest tally ever allowed in a 16-game season in team history. Kansas City also broke a 63-year-old mark owned by the 1934 Detroit Lions by not permitting a second-half TD in 10 consecutive games. Grbac returned for the regular season finale against New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
on December 21 as the squad finished the year with six consecutive victories, a first in team history. The Chiefs' 13–3 record gave them home field advantage throughout the AFC Playoffs. However, their playoff run was short-lived, as Kansas City lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos 14–10 in the Divisional round.
The following year, with Elvis Grbac back at the helm, the Chiefs fell to 7–9 in 1998. Marty Schottenheimer took much of the blame for his failed attempts in the playoffs and conservative style of coaching (" Martyball"), and resigned following the 1998 season.
Schottenheimer spent a total of 10 seasons as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, from 1989 to 1998 recording a 101–58–1 regular season record (.634) and had three division titles, seven playoff appearances, and a trip to the AFC Championship game in 1993, losing to the Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
.[
]
Washington Redskins
From 1999 to 2000, Schottenheimer worked as a football analyst for ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
, where he sometimes criticized Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
owner Daniel Snyder
Daniel Marc Snyder (born November 23, 1964) is an American businessman and owner of the Washington Commanders, an American football team belonging to the National Football League (NFL). He bought the team, then known as the Washington Redskins, ...
for being a meddlesome owner. In a surprise to many observers, Schottenheimer was hired as head coach 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
The National Football Conference – Eastern Division or NFC East is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It currently has four members: the Dallas Cowboys ...
. Despite this, Snyder controversially fired Schottenheimer on January 13, 2002, after one season to make room for former University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
head football coach Steve Spurrier. The team would regress under Spurrier, dropping to losing records during his two seasons at the helm.
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
hired Schottenheimer in 2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
following consecutive last-place finishes in the AFC West
The American Football Conference – Western Division or AFC West is one of the four divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The division comprises the Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Las ...
under Mike Riley. Scottenheimer's success didn't 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
Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons with the New York Giants. A member of the Manning football dynasty, he is the youngest son o ...
also refused to play for the Chargers, although the team drafted him as part of a trade deal with the New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
to receive quarterback Philip Rivers
Philip Michael Rivers (born December 8, 1981) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers franchise. He played college football at NC State and was sele ...
, who had impressed Scottenheimer, 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
The National Football League Coach of the Year Award is presented annually by various news and sports organizations to the National Football League (NFL) head coach who has done the most outstanding job of working with the talent he has at his disp ...
honors. The season was the Chargers' first winning record and playoff berth since 1995
File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...
and their first division title since 1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
.[ 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
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
season of running back LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tarshane Tomlinson (born June 23, 1979) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. After a successful college career with the TCU Horned Frogs, the San Diego Chargers se ...
, 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
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
in overtime 20–17. Although the Chargers managed to rally back from a 17–7 deficit to force overtime, San Diego placekicker Nate Kaeding
Nathaniel James Kaeding (born March 26, 1982) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played the majority of his career with the San Diego Chargers and ...
missed a field goal that would have won the game, leading to the Jets winning off a Doug Brien
Douglas Robert Zachariah Brien (born November 24, 1970) is a former American football placekicker and American businessman. He played twelve seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for seven teams: San Francisco, New Orleans, Indianapolis ...
field goal. The 24–21 defeat to the New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
in 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 winning by eight points, Chargers safety Marlon McCree
Marlon Tarron McCree (born March 17, 1977) is a former American football safety. He was drafted by the Jaguars in the seventh round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Kentucky.
McCree also played for the Houston Texans, Caro ...
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 53-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
Dean Alexander Spanos (born May 26, 1950) is the chairman and owner of the National Football League (NFL)'s San Diego / Los Angeles Chargers franchise. He is the son of Alex Spanos, who purchased majority interest in the team in 1984. Spanos to ...
announced that Schottenheimer would return for the final year of his contract, but the coach 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 the coach and general manager A.J. Smith
Albert J. Smith (born February 28, 1949) is a former American football player, coach, scout, and executive. He served as a part-time scout for several NFL and USFL teams before joining the Buffalo Bills in 1986, serving as a scout and executive ...
. The former rationale from Spanos was based on offensive coordinator Cam Cameron
Malcolm "Cam" Cameron (born February 6, 1961) is an American football coach. He is the former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach of the LSU Tigers football program. Cameron attended Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana and playe ...
and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips
Harold Wade Phillips (born June 21, 1947) is an American football coach who is currently the head coach of the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL. He has served as head coach of the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, and Dallas Cowboys. He has also ser ...
leaving for head coaching positions, while tight ends coach Rob Chudzinski
Robert Matthew Chudzinski (born May 12, 1968) is an American football coach who is currently the special assistant to the head coach of the Boston College Eagles. Chudzinski was the offensive coordinator for several National Football League (N ...
and linebackers coach Greg Manusky
Gregory Manusky (born August 12, 1966) is an American football coach who is the inside linebacker coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. Manusky started his coaching career as a linebacker coach for two teams over six se ...
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.
According to Jim Trotter of the ''San Diego Union Tribune
''The San Diego Union-Tribune'' is a metropolitan daily newspaper published in San Diego, California, that has run since 1868.
Its name derives from a 1992 merger between the two major daily newspapers at the time, ''The San Diego Union'' and ...
'', Schottenheimer's insisting that his brother Kurt replace Phillips further strained the relationship between Spanos and Schottenheimer. Spanos had always been against the idea of allowing relatives to be on the same coaching staff, but had acquiesced to his son Brian
Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world.
It is possible that the name is derived from an Old Celtic word me ...
, being the Chargers' quarterbacks coach. Schottenheimer even went as far to book a flight to San Diego for his brother, against Spanos' wishes. This act of defiance increased the gap between Spanos and Schottenheimer.
Schottenheimer was still owed $4 million for the final year of his contract, as the firing was "without cause". Schottenheimer was replaced as San Diego head coach by Norv Turner
Norval Turner (born May 17, 1952) is an American football coach in the National Football League (NFL). An offensive assistant for the majority of his coaching career, he came to prominence as the Dallas Cowboys' offensive coordinator during the ...
. Following the Chargers' 1–3 start the next season, fans at Qualcomm Stadium
San Diego Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium on the West Coast of the United States, west coast of the United States, in San Diego, California. The stadium opened in 1967 as San Diego Stadium and was known as Jack Murphy Stadium from 1981 to 199 ...
voiced their displeasure with the firing by chanting Schottenheimer's name. Schottenheimer posted a 47–33 (.588) regular season record for the Chargers and was the franchise's most recent head coach to leave with a winning record until Anthony Lynn
Anthony Ray Lynn (born December 21, 1968) is an American football coach and former running back who is the assistant head coach and running backs coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played in t ...
in 2020. He is also the Chargers' last head coach to post a winning record while based in San Diego.
Virginia Destroyers (UFL)
In March 2011, the Virginia Destroyers
The Virginia Destroyers were a professional American football team based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. They began play in the United Football League (UFL) in the 2011 season. They played their home games at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex.
The tea ...
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
William R. Hambrecht (born 1935) is an American investment banker and chairman of WR Hambrecht + Co which he founded in 1998. He helped persuade Google to use an Internet-based auction for their initial public offering (IPO) in 2004, instead of a ...
personally guaranteed he would pay Schottenheimer's $1.1 million salary for the eight-game season.[Harris, Joe (October 18, 2012)]
Marty Schottenheimer Sues UFL Founder
''Courthouse News Service''. Retrieved October 18, 2012. 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
Dominic Dondrell Rhodes (born January 17, 1979) is a former American football running back. He played college football at Midwestern State and was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2001.
Rhodes was also a member ...
, was also named the MVP of the 2011 UFL season.
On October 21, 2011, the Virginia Destroyers derailed the two-time defending UFL Champion Las Vegas Locomotives
The Las Vegas Locomotives (called the Locos for short) were a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada that played in the United Football League. The team played their home games at Sam Boyd Stadium, home field for the Unive ...
17–3 in the 2011 UFL Championship Game at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex
The Virginia Beach Sportsplex is a sports complex in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The name is most commonly attached to the main stadium within the complex, which opened in 1999. It has a permanent seating capacity of 6,000, on two decks of seating, ...
. 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.][Dale Kasler]
Ex-NFL coach fighting owners of defunct Sacramento team over $1 million in back pay
''Sacramento Bee'' (January 14, 2016).
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
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
. 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 first-round exits for his teams.[
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
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coach ...
. At the time of his retirement, he ranked fifth in regular season wins, behind only Hall of Fame coaches Don Shula, George Halas
George Stanley Halas Sr. (; February 2, 1895October 31, 1983), nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was an American professional football player, coach, and team owner. He was the founder and owner of the National Football League's Chic ...
, Tom Landry
Thomas Wade Landry (September 11, 1924 – February 12, 2000) was an American professional football player and coach. He was the first head coach of the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL), a position he held for 29 seasons. Dur ...
, and Curly Lambeau
Earl Louis "Curly" Lambeau (April 9, 1898 – June 1, 1965) was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). Lambeau, along with his friend and fellow Green Bay, Wisconsin native George Whitney Cal ...
. 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
Herman Edwards Jr. (born April 27, 1954) is an American football coach and former cornerback who was most recently the head football coach at Arizona State. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons, primarily with the Phil ...
said that his playoff record "probably detracts rom his legacyin the minds of some people, but I know it doesn't in the minds of people who have coached against him."
At Bill Cowher
William Laird Cowher (born May 8, 1957) is an American sports analyst, former football player and coach. Following a six-year playing career as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL), he served as a head coach in the NFL for 15 se ...
’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
Gelindo "Lindy" Infante (March 27, 1940 – October 8, 2015) was an American football player and coach, who became an offensive coordinator and head coach in both the National Football League (NFL) and the United States Football League (USFL). ...
– Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
(1988–1991), Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
(1996–1997)
*Bill Cowher
William Laird Cowher (born May 8, 1957) is an American sports analyst, former football player and coach. Following a six-year playing career as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL), he served as a head coach in the NFL for 15 se ...
– Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
(1992–2006)
*Tony Dungy
Anthony Kevin Dungy ( ; born October 6, 1955) is an American former football safety and coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts. Dungy's teams be ...
– Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
(1996–2001), Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
(2002–2008)
*Gunther Cunningham
Gunther Cunningham (June 19, 1946 – May 11, 2019) was an American football head coach. He served as the Kansas City Chiefs head coach for two seasons. He also had two stints as the Chiefs' Defensive Coordinator. He served as an assistant coach ...
– Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
(1999–2000)
*Herm Edwards
Herman Edwards Jr. (born April 27, 1954) is an American football coach and former cornerback who was most recently the head football coach at Arizona State. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons, primarily with the Phil ...
– New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
(2001–2005), Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
(2006–2008)
*Mike McCarthy
Michael John McCarthy (born November 10, 1963) is an American football coach who is the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). From 2006 to 2018, he was the head coach of the Green Bay Packers. In 2011, he led t ...
– Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
(2006–2018), Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
(2020–present)
*Art Shell
Arthur Lee Shell Jr. (born November 26, 1946) is an American former professional football player in the American Football League (AFL) and later in the National Football League (NFL), a Hall of Fame offensive tackle and a two-time former head co ...
– Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
(2006)
*Wade Phillips
Harold Wade Phillips (born June 21, 1947) is an American football coach who is currently the head coach of the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL. He has served as head coach of the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, and Dallas Cowboys. He has also ser ...
– Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
(2007–2010), Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
(2013, interim)
*Cam Cameron
Malcolm "Cam" Cameron (born February 6, 1961) is an American football coach. He is the former offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach of the LSU Tigers football program. Cameron attended Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana and playe ...
– Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
(2007)
*Tony Sparano
Anthony Joseph Sparano III (October 7, 1961 – July 22, 2018) was an American football coach. He served as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) and is the only NFL head coach to have l ...
– Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
(2008–2011), Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
(2014, interim)
*Hue Jackson
Hue Jackson (born October 22, 1965) is an American football coach who is the head football coach at Grambling State University. An offensive assistant at both the collegiate and professional levels, he held coordinator positions in the Nationa ...
– Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
(2011), Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
(2016–2018)
*Bruce Arians
Bruce Charles Arians (born October 3, 1952) is an American football executive and former coach in the National Football League (NFL). Since 2022, he has been a senior football consultant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Arians was previously the he ...
– Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
(2012, interim), Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
(2013–2017), Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
(2019–2021)
*Rob Chudzinski
Robert Matthew Chudzinski (born May 12, 1968) is an American football coach who is currently the special assistant to the head coach of the Boston College Eagles. Chudzinski was the offensive coordinator for several National Football League (N ...
– Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
(2013)
*Marc Trestman
Marc Marlyn Trestman (born January 15, 1956) is an American football and Canadian football coach. He led the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) to back-to-back Grey Cup victories in 2009 and 2010, and another as head coac ...
– Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
(2013–2014)
Some of Schottenheimer's former assistants have even fielded successful, winning teams on a regular basis. Additionally, other head coaches are connected to Schottenheimer through his former assistants.
Four of Schottenheimer's former assistants have reached and won the Super Bowl as NFL head coaches: Bill Cowher
William Laird Cowher (born May 8, 1957) is an American sports analyst, former football player and coach. Following a six-year playing career as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL), he served as a head coach in the NFL for 15 se ...
, Tony Dungy
Anthony Kevin Dungy ( ; born October 6, 1955) is an American former football safety and coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts. Dungy's teams be ...
, Mike McCarthy
Michael John McCarthy (born November 10, 1963) is an American football coach who is the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). From 2006 to 2018, he was the head coach of the Green Bay Packers. In 2011, he led t ...
and Bruce Arians
Bruce Charles Arians (born October 3, 1952) is an American football executive and former coach in the National Football League (NFL). Since 2022, he has been a senior football consultant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Arians was previously the he ...
. It should be noted, however, that the four aforementioned head coaches won their Super Bowl titles by implementing offensive strategies that could, by and large, be considered more aggressive than Schottenheimer's ''Martyball'' strategy.
Bill Cowher coached the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
from 1992 to 2006. Like Schottenheimer, Cowher built his offenses around a strong running game. For many years, he was able to do so thanks to the power running style of his Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coach ...
running back, Jerome Bettis
Jerome Abram Bettis Sr. (born February 16, 1972) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nicknamed "the Bus" for his large size and runn ...
. However, Cowher was able to get consistent, and often strong, performances in the passing game from his quarterbacks (Neil O'Donnell
Neil Kennedy O'Donnell (born July 3, 1966) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League for 14 seasons. He played college football at Maryland and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third ro ...
, Kordell Stewart
Kordell Stewart (born October 16, 1972) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nicknamed "Slash", he played college football at Colorado ...
, Tommy Maddox
Thomas Alfred Maddox (born September 2, 1971) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, most notably with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also played one season each for the New J ...
and Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. (; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college footba ...
). Cowher's teams also made good use of trick play
A trick play, also known as a gadget play, gimmick play or trickeration, is a play in gridiron football that uses deception and unorthodox tactics to fool the opposing team. A trick play is often risky, offering the potential for a large gain or ...
s on offense. A trick play helped the Steelers win Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Seattle Seahawks and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion f ...
against the Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
. In the fourth quarter, Pittsburgh wide receiver Antwaan Randle El
Antwaan Randle El (; born August 17, 1979) is an American football coach and former player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He is currently the wide receivers coach for the Detroit Lions of the Nati ...
, who was originally a quarterback at Indiana University, threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to fellow Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward
Hines Edward Ward Jr. (born March 8, 1976) is an American football coach and former wide receiver of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Georgia and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the ...
. This play would prove to be the game-winning score, as Cowher's Steelers beat the Seahawks 21–10, giving him his first Super Bowl title. In 2020, Cowher earned induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
When Tony Dungy was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
from 1996 to 2001, he implemented a conservative, ball-control offense based primarily around running the ball and short, high-percentage passes. However, when Dungy coached the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
from 2002 to 2008, he was more willing to base his offense on an aggressive, more robust passing game. This was largely possible due to the impressive passing skills of Dungy's Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. Nicknamed "the Sheriff", he spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and four with th ...
. Another important factor was that the Colts' offensive coordinator, Tom Moore, was a man that Dungy already knew and trusted. Dungy is credited for turning both the Buccaneers and Colts into Super Bowl contenders as a head coach. He made ten straight trips to the NFL Playoffs
The National Football League (NFL) playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held after the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Currently, seven teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs. A tie-breaki ...
(1999–2001 in Tampa Bay, and 2002–2008 in Indianapolis). In Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League (NFL) champio ...
, Dungy's Colts defeated the Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
29–17, and he became the first black head coach to win the Super Bowl, against another black head coach (and Dungy's former mentee), Lovie Smith
Lovie Lee Smith (born May 8, 1958) is an American football coach who is the head coach of the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). From 2004 to 2016, he served as the head coach of the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a ...
. In 2016, Dungy earned induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Mike McCarthy coached the Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
from 2006 to 2018, and ran a variation of the West Coast offense
In American football, the West Coast offense is an offense that places a greater emphasis on passing than on running.
There are two similar but distinct offensive strategic systems that are commonly referred to as "West Coast offenses". Original ...
during his time as Packers head coach. He was able to field a potent passing attack with two superstar quarterbacks; first with Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 201 ...
(2006–2007), and then with Aaron Rodgers (2008–2018). McCarthy guided the Packers to a 31–25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champi ...
, with Rodgers being named the game's MVP
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
. Under McCarthy's watch, the Packers were perennial playoff contenders, and Rodgers blossomed into one of the NFL's best quarterbacks, winning multiple NFL MVP
The National Football League Most Valuable Player Award (NFL MVP) is an award given by various entities to the American football player who is considered the most valuable in the National Football League (NFL) during the regular season. Organizati ...
awards along the way.
Bruce Arians, who is another member of Schottenheimer's coaching tree, is well known for his motto, "No risk it, no biscuit," which encourages all his players to play aggressively. Additionally, Arians is noted for his work with quarterbacks. He served as quarterbacks coach for the Indianapolis Colts from 1998 to 2000, mentoring Peyton Manning. From 2004 to 2011, Arians was an offensive assistant for the Pittsburgh Steelers, working for both Bill Cowher and Cowher's successor, Mike Tomlin
Michael Pettaway Tomlin (born March 15, 1972) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). Since joining the Steelers in 2007, he has led the team to ten playoff runs, s ...
. Arians served as wide receivers coach from 2004 to 2006, and then as offensive coordinator from 2007 to 2011. With his help, the Steelers won Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champions Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champions Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League (NFL) champ ...
. During this time, Arians tutored and developed Ben Roethlisberger. In 2012, Arians came back to the Indianapolis Colts. He was named the team's interim head coach when Chuck Pagano, the team's regular head coach, was being treated for leukemia. As the Colts' acting head coach for 12 weeks, Arians guided Indianapolis to a 9–3 record and helped the team get back to the NFL Playoffs. He also became the first ever interim head coach to be named NFL Coach of the Year
The National Football League Coach of the Year Award is presented annually by various news and sports organizations to the National Football League (NFL) head coach who has done the most outstanding job of working with the talent he has at his disp ...
for his efforts. From 2013 to 2017, Arians served as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
. He turned the Cardinals into a legitimate playoff contender while also getting productive seasons from his star quarterback Carson Palmer
Carson Hilton Palmer (born December 27, 1979) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at ...
. In 2019, after spending the previous year as an analyst for the NFL on CBS
The ''NFL on CBS'' is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that are produced by CBS Sports, the sports division of the CBS television network in the United States. The network has aired NFL game telecasts sin ...
, Arians became the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, leading them to a 7–9 record. The following year, however, proved to be a triumphant year for him as coach. With the help of legendary quarterback Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
, Arians led the Buccaneers to victory in Super Bowl LV. The Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 31–9, and Arians became the oldest head coach to win a Super Bowl.
Personal life
Schottenheimer married his wife, Pat, in 1968. They lived on Lake Norman
Lake Norman is the largest man-made body of fresh water in North Carolina. It was created between 1959 and 1964 as part of the construction of the Cowans Ford Dam by Duke Energy.
Geography
Lake Norman is fed by the Catawba River, and drains i ...
in North Carolina and had two children, a daughter, Kristen and a son, Brian
Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world.
It is possible that the name is derived from an Old Celtic word me ...
, who has also served as an NFL coach.[
]
Health and death
In 2011, Schottenheimer was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...
. 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
Andrew Walter Reid (born March 19, 1958) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Reid was previously head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999 to 2012. From 200 ...
after Reid surpassed him in coaching wins. On February 3, 2021, his family announced he had been put into hospice care
Hospice care is a type of health care that focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's pain and symptoms and attending to their emotional and spiritual needs at the end of life. Hospice care prioritizes comfort and quality of life by ...
the previous Saturday. He died five days later on February 8, 2021, in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
at the age of 77.
Head coaching record
Source:
See also
* List of American Football League players
The following is a list of men who played for the American Football League (AFL, 1960–1969).
Players
A
B
C
D
Elbert Dubenion
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
Y
Z
Notes
Player notes
1,398 ...
* List of National Football League head coaches with 50 wins
The following is a list of the top National Football League (NFL) head coaches in wins.
Don Shula holds the current records for regular season wins at 328 and combined regular and postseason wins at 347. Bill Belichick holds the record for postse ...
* List of professional gridiron football coaches with 200 wins
Through the end of the 2021-2022 season in professional gridiron football, football, only thirteen coaches have won 200 career regular season victories. An additional four coaches achieved 200 total wins, but fell short of the milestone in the regu ...
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
Further reading
* (video)
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schottenheimer, Marty
1943 births
2021 deaths
People from Ridgefield, Connecticut
People from Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
Sportspeople from the Pittsburgh metropolitan area
Players of American football from Pennsylvania
American football linebackers
Pittsburgh Panthers football players
Boston Patriots players
Buffalo Bills players
American Football League players
American Football League All-Star players
Coaches of American football from Pennsylvania
Portland Storm coaches
New York Giants coaches
National Football League defensive coordinators
Detroit Lions coaches
Cleveland Browns coaches
Cleveland Browns head coaches
Kansas City Chiefs head coaches
Washington Redskins head coaches
Washington Redskins executives
San Diego Chargers head coaches
National Football League general managers
Virginia Destroyers coaches
United Football League (2009–2012) head coaches
National Football League announcers
Neurological disease deaths in North Carolina
Deaths from Alzheimer's disease