Dawgs By Nature
The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced on Tuesday the 12 coaches who advanced to the next round of voting for election into the hall’s Class of 2026.
Marty Schottenheimer, who was head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 1984 to 1988, was one of several coaches who made the cut to 12 candidates.
Under Schottenheimer, the Browns won AFC Central Division titles in 1985, 1986, and 1987, and earned a fourth playoff appearance in 1988 as a Wild Card entry. Paired with quarterback Bernie Kosar, the Browns made it to the AFC Championship Game in 1986 and 1987, but came up short both times in close losses to the Denver Broncos.
The Browns were 44-27 under Schottenheimer, the third-best winning percentage (.620) in franchise history for a full-time head coach, and his 44 victories are fourth on the team’s all-time list behind Paul Brown, Blanton Collier, and Sam Rutigliano.
In another one of his brilliant moves as owner, Art Modell got into a spat with Schottenheimer after the 1988 season, and Schottenheimer moved to the Kansas City Chiefs, where he had 101 victories and seven playoff appearances in 10 seasons.
Schottenheimer also coached Washington for one season (2001) before closing out his NFL coaching career with a five-year run with the San Diego Chargers, where he went 14-2 in his final season in charge.
During his coaching career, Schottenheimer’s teams won eight division titles and posted just two losing seasons. His career regular-season record of 200-126-1 ranks eighth all-time in victories, ahead of such notable coaches as Chuck Noll, Bill Parcells, Bud Grant, Joe Gibbs, and Bill Cowher.
Joining Schottenheimer on the list, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame:
