He was widely known in NFL circles as a successful head coach for four different clubs. Marty Schottenheimer, who passed peacefully on Monday, produced 200 NFL wins as the sideline boss of the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, San Diego Chargers or Washington Redskins. However, Schottenheimer started his professional football career as a player with the Buffalo Bills.
A seventh-round draft choice of the Bills in 1965, and a fourth-round pick of the Baltimore Colts in the NFL also in 1965, Schottenheimer chose to sign with the Bills as they were coming off their first American Football League title.
Though he wasn't a starter on what was a stacked defense in his rookie season, Schottenheimer played well enough to earn an AFL All-Star nod as the Bills won their second consecutive AFL title.
Schottenheimer would play three more seasons in a Bills uniform, logging five of his six career interceptions with Buffalo before he joined the Boston Patriots roster in 1969.
His coaching career began in the World Football League with the Portland Storm where he first served as linebackers coach. But Schottenheimer is best known for his successful stints in the NFL with the Browns and Chiefs leading both clubs to a combined total of three appearances in the AFC title game.
Though Schottenheimer was never able to get those teams over the hump to the Super Bowl, he remains one of eight coaches in NFL history with 200 career victories. He also won a total of eight division titles in his coaching career.
Named AFC Coach of the Year in 1986, Schottenheimer was most notably awarded NFL Coach of the Year honors in 2004 after leading the Chargers to a 12-4 record just a year after the club went 4-12. His teams won 10 or more games 11 times.
Diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2011, the Schottenheimer family made his condition public in 2016. Schottenheimer was just placed in hospice care last week as his condition had deteriorated due to the disease. He was 77.
