Longtime NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer dies at 77

Marty Schottenheimer, who spent 21 seasons as a head coach on NFL sidelines, died Monday, ESPN reports. He was 77. Schottenheimer was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2011.

Just one of seven coaches to compile 200 regular season wins as a head coach in the league, Schottenheimer only had two losing seasons in his lengthy career, which included stints with the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Football Team, and then-San Diego Chargers. He took his teams to three conference championship games — two with the Browns, and one with the Chiefs — but never reached the Super Bowl.

LaDanian Tomlinson, who starred at running back for five seasons under Schottenheimer in San Diego, told ESPN he considers him "the best coach I ever had," adding that while "I never went into a game with Marty as coach feeling like I wasn't fully prepared to win ... he cared more about the man than the athlete. I will remember him more for the life lessons that he taught me."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Schottenheimer is survived by his wife, Pat, two children, Kristin and Brian (who coaches for the Jacksonville Jaguars), and four grandchildren. Read more at ESPN.