Former Chiefs Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer Dies at Age 77
Former Kansas City Chiefs head coach Marty Schottenheimer passed away at the age of 77 on Monday after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's.
Schottenheimer spent a decade at the helm of the Chiefs, coaching from 1989 through 1998. On Tuesday afternoon, Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt released the following statement mourning the loss of one of the organization's greatest and most accomplished coaches.
Our family and the entire Chiefs Kingdom mourn the loss of Marty Schottenheimer, and our prayers and heartfelt condolences are with his wonderful wife Pat and the entire Schottenheimer family today. Marty will rightfully be remembered as one of the greatest coaches in NFL history, but his legacy extends far beyond his winning percentage. He was a passionate leader who cared deeply for his players and coaches, and his influence on the game can still be seen today on a number of coaching staffs around the league.
When Marty arrived in 1989, he reinvigorated what was then a struggling franchise and quickly turned the Chiefs into a consistent winner. Marty's teams made Chiefs football a proud part of Kansas City's identity once again, and the team's resurgence forged a powerful bond with a new generation of fans who created the legendary home-field advantage at Arrowhead Stadium.
Marty will always hold a special place in the history of the Chiefs, and he will be dearly missed by all of us who were blessed to call him a friend.
Current Chiefs head coach Andy Reid expressed his condolences to the Schottenheimer family and paid tribute to the former coach when speaking to the media during Super Bowl week after Schottenheimer had been moved to hospice care.
"My heart goes out to the Schottenheimer family," Reid said. "Marty and I were close, and what a great person. He was great to me as a young football coach. Nobody did it better than he did."
