Former Browns Coach Marty Schottenheimer Dead At 77

CHARLOTTE, NC — Legendary NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer died Tuesday. He was 77.

Schottenheimer coached the Cleveland Browns from 1984 to 1988, compiling a record of 44-27 during his tenure. He was famed for his regular season dominance and postseason collapse.

Perhaps his most famous postseason misfires came during his tenure in Cleveland. His Browns twice came tantalizingly close to earning Super Bowl berths, only to have them ripped away by “The Drive” and “The Fumble” in consecutive AFC Championship Games against personal nemesis John Elway and the Broncos. They are games etched in Cleveland's horrifying postseason lore.

After departing the Browns, Schottenheimer went on to coach the Kansas City Chiefs, the Washington Football Team, and the San Diego Chargers. He never enjoyed postseason success, regardless of franchise. He had a 5-13 career record in the playoffs.

Even his final NFL game was marked by playoff mishaps. During a home playoff game in 2007, Schottenheimer's Chargers were playing Tom Brady and the New England Patriots . They dominated most of the game but after a sequence of freak mistakes, San Diego blew the lead and lost 24-21.

In the end, Schottenheimer's legacy is one of regular season dominance. He frequently built some of the most talented teams in the NFL, even if they were unable to hoist Lombardi trophies.

Schottenheimer was born on Sept. 23, 1943, in Canonsburg, a small town outside Pittsburgh. He played at Pitt before a six-year pro career with the Bills and Patriots.

He is survived by wife Pat and children Brian and Kristin. Brian Schottenheimer was fired as Seattle’s offensive coordinator last month and then hired by new Jacksonville coach Urban Meyer as passing game coordinator-quarterbacks coach.

Reporting from the Associated Press was used in this report