Honors:| Schottenheimer wins first top
coaching honor NFL.com wire reports NEW YORK (Jan. 8, 2005) -- Marty Schottenheimer's guidance of one of the great turnarounds in NFL history won him The Associated Press 2004 NFL Coach of the Year award. Schottenheimer took the San Diego Chargers from tailender to division champion, from a 4-12 embarrassment to a 12-4 power that was to host the New York Jets in a playoff game. The 61-year-old, who also has worked in Cleveland, Kansas City and Washington, did his best work of an 18½-season head coaching career. "There is a great sense of satisfaction when you're able to get things going in the right direction," said Schottenheimer, who received 27½ of the 48 votes from a national panel of writers and broadcasters who cover pro football. "I always pride myself on one thing -- I think I'm a teacher. It's fun to see your players listen and work together to apply the basic philosophies and concepts that are important to success." Many of Schottenheimer's team have done that. He's coached division winners in Cleveland, where he was the head man from mid-1984 through 1988. And in Kansas City (1989-98). He even had an 8-8 record in his one season in Washington, and considering how other Redskins coaches have done for owner Daniel Snyder, that was impressive, too. But his third season in San Diego has been charmed. And perhaps a bit lucky, because Schottenheimer was looking for a different quarterback and hoped to go with first-round draft pick Phillip Rivers. When Rivers held out for half of training camp, Schottenheimer stuck with Drew Brees. Brees wound up as Comeback Player of the Year and Schottenheimer became Coach of the Year for the first time. His players say Schottenheimer's decision to form a players council and ease up in practices, as well as remodeling the locker room, made a big difference. "I've seen it all year," said linebacker Donnie Edwards, who also played for Schottenheimer in Kansas City. "The way he's changed his coaching to understand the players and let the players understand the coaches -- so it's a two-way street now. "There are so many things that have changed. It's all been for the best. I'm really excited about him, because he came into the year with great enthusiasm and great energy and it transferred over right to us as players, and we've been able to translate that onto the field." San Diego won nine of its last 10 games -- the loss was in overtime at AFC South champion Indianapolis -- to run away with the AFC West. Schottenheimer got superb performances from unheralded tight end Antonio Gates and star running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who both made the All-Pro team. Edwards was one of the league's best defenders, as was tackle Jamal Williams. That made the 2004 season even more fulfilling for Schottenheimer. "At the end of the day, there is more than just the personal enjoyment that you've experienced," he said. "It's as much, if not more so, the fact that you can share it will all these people that have worked together with you to achieve it." Schottenheimer is the first San Diego coach to win the award. He was trailed by Pittsburgh's Bill Cowher (14½ votes), who led the Steelers to the league's best record, 15-1. Cowher won it in 1992. |
Schottenheimer
named head coach By David Neville Chargers.com 01.29.02 - When Chargers President Dean Spanos and General Manager John Butler began their search for a new head coach earlier this month, they had one requirement: “We’re looking for a proven winner, someone who knows how to win.” The Chargers got just that when they officially introduced Marty Schottenheimer as the 13th head coach in team history on Tuesday. (Listen) RealPlayer needed “Everybody’s excited that the deal is finally done,” said Spanos. “Marty Schottenheimer is no stranger to San Diego, and it will be nice to have him on our side of the field now. He’s been a fierce competitor over the years. “We started out trying to find somebody with experience at the NFL level who has been a winner, and Marty’s record speaks for itself. We’re really pleased that he’s here and we’re looking forward to this season.” “We feel very fortunate to be able to hire the kind of coach that we set out to get, and that’s an experienced, winning coach,” said Butler. “There just aren’t very many coaches who have won as many games in the National Football League as Marty Schottenheimer has. It’s a distinct privilege that he’ll be leading the Chargers into the future.” With 153 regular-season wins in 15-and-a-half seasons as an NFL head coach, Schottenheimer ranks second among active coaches in career wins to only Atlanta’s Dan Reeves, who has 178 wins in 21 seasons. Schottenheimer’s regular-season winning percentage (.619) is tied with Seattle’s Mike Holmgren and Pittsburgh’s Bill Cowher, who are both 99-61. Only Baltimore’s Brian Billick has a higher winning percentage (.625, 30-18) among active head coaches who have led their team through three seasons. “I’m obviously very excited about the opportunity that the Spanos family has given me and my family,” said Schottenheimer. “My feeling is that the San Diego Chargers can be a winning football team in the National Football League. “Our approach is going to be that we want to find the right people that will make the commitment and sacrifice that is necessary to be successful in the National Football League. We have one single goal and that’s to try to find a way to win a world championship here in San Diego.” This will be Schottenheimer’s fourth stint as an NFL head coach, having previously guided the Cleveland Browns (1984-88), Kansas City Chiefs (1989-98) and most recently the Washington Redskins (2001). Schottenheimer has compiled a record of 153-93-1 in regular season action. Schottenheimer, 58, has led his teams to the playoffs 11 times, more than any other active NFL coach. Since 1960, only four coaches have done it more; Don Shula (19), Tom Landry (18), Chuck Noll (12) and Bud Grant (12). All four have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His 153 regular season wins rank 10th on the NFL’s all-time list and his 11 playoff appearances is fifth in league history. Schottenheimer has a record of 5-11 (.313) in postseason play. From 1986 to 1997 as head coach of the Browns and Chiefs, he led his teams to 12 straight winning seasons and 10 trips to the playoffs. He has led six of his teams to division titles, including the Browns in 1985, ’86 and ’87, and the Chiefs in 1993, ’95 and ’97. Including the playoffs, Schottenheimer has a combined record of 158-104-1 (.601) as an NFL head coach. In his only season in Washington, Schottenheimer led the Redskins to a record of 8-8 last year. After enduring an 0-5 start, including an opening day 30-3 loss to the Chargers in San Diego, the Redskins rebounded with eight wins in their final 11 games. In addition to being the Redskins’ head coach, Schottenheimer also served as Washington’s director of football operations. “Marty is an outstanding football coach in the NFL,” said Shula, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997. “He’s been a winner everywhere he’s been, Cleveland, Kansas City and Washington. I think he may have done his best coaching in Washington, starting 0-5 and then winning eight out the next 11 games. “He’s as solid as can be and will surround himself with the best staff. He will get the job done in San Diego.” “Marty’s a winner whose convictions on how to win in the NFL give him a focus and determination that is the equal of any coach or player in the league,” said Baltimore Ravens Senior Vice President – Player Personnel Ozzie Newsome, who was a tight end for Schottenheimer in Cleveland during his Pro Football Hall of Fame playing career. Prior to joining the Redskins, Schottenheimer spent two years (1999-2000) as an NFL analyst for ESPN. From 1989-98, Schottenheimer spent 10 seasons as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. During his tenure, the Chiefs posted a 101-58-1 regular season record for a .634 winning percentage, which was the second highest in the NFL during that time span after only San Francisco (.769, 123-37). In his 10 seasons with the Chiefs, Schottenheimer’s teams averaged 10 wins a season and advanced to the playoffs seven times, making Kansas City one of the AFC’s most dominant teams of the ’90s. The Chiefs were particularly dominant at home under Schottenheimer, where their 62-18 (.775) record from 1989-98 was the third-best in the NFL behind San Francisco 67-13 (.838) and Denver 63-17 (.788). The Chiefs and 49ers were the only teams in the NFL to reach the playoffs seven times in the ’90s and from 1989-97 the Chiefs finished either first of second in the AFC West, a nine-year stretch matched only by the Pittsburgh Steelers (1971-79) since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. “We spent 10 years in Kansas City, so we have some familiarity with this division,” said Schottenheimer. “I’ve been away from it for three years, but through my time working with ESPN and during the time I spent in Washington, I have a familiarity with this group of people. It’s a very competitive division, but on the other hand, I think that there is an opportunity available right now to get in here and compete and have an opportunity of winning.” “As I told John Butler at the Senior Bowl, Marty’s an outstanding football coach,” said Carl Peterson, President/General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of the Kansas City Chiefs. “His record speaks for itself. I am disappointed that we’re going to have play against him twice a year.” Under Schottenheimer’s guidance, the Chiefs posted the AFC’s best record in 1995 and ’97 when the team was 13-3. In 1990, he led the Chiefs to an 11-5 mark, the team’s best record in 21 years. He led the Chiefs into postseason play for just the second time since 1971 and the first time since 1986. In 1993, the Chiefs had their finest season since 1969, when they won their first and only Super Bowl championship. Schottenheimer led the Chiefs to a record of 11-5 and their first division title since 1971. In 1997, the Chiefs finished the regular season with an NFL regular-season best record of 13-3, giving Kansas City its third AFC West title in five years. Schottenheimer’s Chiefs were consistently among the league’s best in five crucial areas: winning percentage in the division, winning percentage at home, turnovers, rushing offense and scoring defense. Schottenheimer had a strong hold on the AFC West during his 10 seasons as the head coach in Kansas City, as evidenced by his 55-28 (.663) record within the division. His success included an outstanding mark of 18-3 (.857) against the Chargers’ biggest rival, the Oakland Raiders. His record with Kansas City against the AFC West includes an impressive 16-4 (.800) ledger against the Seattle Seahawks, who will be moving to the NFC West in the re-aligned NFL in 2002. The Chargers will benefit from having Schottenheimer on their side. He was 13-8 (.619) in games against San Diego while he was with Kansas City. Strong defense has bee a trademark of Schottenheimer’s teams. His teams have consistently ranked in the upper-half of the NFL in total defense, scoring defense and turnover ratio. Dating back to his first full season as a head coach in Cleveland in 1985, Schottenheimer’s teams have been ranked in the league’s top 10 in total defense eight times and in scoring defense nine times, including the 1995 and ’97 seasons when the Chiefs led the league in scoring defense. His Kansas City teams were known for their ball-hawking defense as evidenced by the Chiefs’ plus-99 turnover ratio under Schottenheimer’s tutelage. (During that time period, the New York Giants ranked second in the league with a plus-77 turnover ratio, 22 less than the Chiefs.) In his 10 seasons with the Chiefs, Schottenheimer’s teams ranked in the NFL’s top five in turnover ratio seven times, including the 1990, ’92 and ’95 seasons when they led the entire league. Kansas City set an NFL record by recording a plus-10 turnover ratio in six-consecutive seasons from 1990-95. Prior to his successful stint in Kansas City, Schottenheimer spent four and a half seasons as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 1984 to 1988. During the four full seasons (1985-88) in which he was head coach of the Browns, Schottenheimer produced four playoff berths, three AFC Central titles, and two AFC Championship game appearances. In his first complete year as head coach, he led the Browns to the AFC Central title. The following season, he earned consensus NFL Coach of the Year honors after leading his team to a 12-4 regular-season record, a second-consecutive division title and a trip to the AFC Championship game, where they fell to the Denver Broncos. He led the Browns back to the AFC title game again in 1987, but once more, his Browns were defeated by the Broncos. Schottenheimer left the Browns after the 1988 season, finishing his career in Cleveland with a 44-27 (.620) regular season record and a 2-4 (.333) mark in the playoffs. Schottenheimer started his coaching career with the Portland Storm of the World Football League in 1974. He began that season as one of the team’s linebackers, but a shoulder injury ended his playing career. He stayed with the team as an assistant coach, tutoring the Storm’s linebackers. In 1975, he landed his first NFL coaching job as the linebackers coach of the New York Giants, where he was brought on board by Bill Arnsparger (who was the Chargers’ defensive coordinator during their Super Bowl season in 1994). After two seasons (1975-76) as linebackers coach, Schottenheimer was named the Giants’ defensive coordinator. After one season (1977) as the Giants’ defensive coordinator, Schottenheimer became the linebackers coach for the Detroit Lions in 1978, remaining there for two seasons (1978-79) before taking over as the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns in 1980. Schottenheimer became Cleveland’s head coach mid-way through the 1984 season, taking over for Sam Rutigliano on Oct. 22, 1984 after the Browns got off to a 1-7 start. Schottenheimer went on to lead the Browns to a record of 4-4 in the remaining eight games during his first half-season as an NFL head coach. Schottenheimer began
his professional football career on the playing field. After a career as
an All-American linebacker at the University of Pittsburgh, he was selected
the fourth round of the 1965 NFL draft by the Baltimore Colts as well as
the seventh round of the AFL draft by the Buffalo Bills. He signed with the
Bills, playing in Buffalo from 1965-68. In his rookie season, Schottenheimer
go his first taste of a professional football championship when the Bills
won the AFL Championship with a 23-0 victory over the San Diego Chargers
on Dec. After his stint with the Bills, he joined the Boston Patriots in 1969, playing two seasons before being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1971. After spending the 1971 training camp with the Steelers, Schottenheimer was traded to the Colts, before retiring shortly thereafter. Before starting his coaching career, he worked as a real estate developer in both Miami and Denver between 1971 and 1974. At the University of Pittsburgh, Schottenheimer was a member of the school’s All-Time Team in addition to being named an All-American. He played in the 1965 College All-Star Game at Soldier Field in Chicago, where the Cleveland Browns defeated the All-Stars, 24-16. In that game, Schottenheimer played alongside Dick Butkus, Fred Biletnikoff, Roger Staubach, Bob Hayes and Bill Curry. Schottenheimer’s athletic career began at Ft. Cheery High School in McDonald, Pennsylvania where he was an honor student and a standout on the football and basketball teams. He was an All-Western Pennsylvania linebacker on the football squad and the center on the state championship basketball team. After high school, he continued his career at the University of Pittsburgh, where he earned a degree in English. Schottenheimer is a licensed pilot and flew with the Navy’s Blue Angels in February of 1992 and the Air Force’s Thunderbirds in July of 1997. Born on September 23, 1943 in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, Schottenheimer and his wife, Pat, have two children, daughter Kristen and son Brian, a former quarterback at the University of Florida who was on Marty’s coaching staffs with the Chiefs (1998) and Redskins (2001). Marty’s brother, Kurt, also was on his staffs in Cleveland (1986-88), Kansas City (1989-2000) and Washington (2001). |