Marty Schottenheimer

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Lore & Background

In his 21 seasons, Schottenheimer reached the playoffs 13 times and had only two losing records. Schottenheimer was also named NFL Coach of the Year with the Chargers in 2004 for leading a team that went 4–12 the previous year to a 12–4 record. However, he won only five of his 18 postseason games and never made a Super Bowl. 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 at least 200 wins. He and Dan Reeves are the only eligible NFL coaches with at least 200 regular season wins who have not been inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In Their Own Story

The turnaround in 2004 stands as the singular highlight of Schottenheimer's Chargers tenure. After losing twelve games the year prior, the team surged under his leadership to finish 12–4. This performance was so distinct that it earned him the NFL Coach of the Year award, a recognition of turning a struggling roster into a division contender in just one season. Yet, the playoffs remained an elusive frontier for Schottenheimer. Despite the regular season dominance in 2004 and his overall career tally of 205 wins, he could not secure a championship ring or even a Super Bowl berth with the Chargers. His tenure ended after the 2006 season, leaving behind a legacy defined by consistent winning records but a .278 playoff winning percentage that marks him as the only coach with at least 200 regular season wins to hold such a losing postseason record.

Reader's Guide

Schottenheimer was born in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. He 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. He 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. He 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. His professional coaching career began in 1974 when he became linebackers coach for the Portland Storm. 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. 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. The 1–7 Browns then went 4–4 under Schottenheimer to finish the season with a 5–11 record. With Schottenheimer, Bernie Kosar and many skilled players, the team achieved greater success. Though they became consistent playoff contenders, the Browns did not reach the Super Bowl, falling one win short three times in the next four seasons. The Browns won first place in a weak AFC Central in 198

Did You Know?

• Schottenheimer has the most wins among NFL head coaches to not win an NFL championship.
• He was named NFL Coach of the Year with the Chargers in 2004 after leading a 4–12 team to a 12–4 record.
• Schottenheimer's .278 playoff winning percentage is the only losing playoff record for an NFL coach with at least 200 wins.
• He won a 2011 championship in his one season with the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League.