CANTON, Ohio — Former Cleveland Browns head coach, the late Marty Schottenheimer, won't be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in next year's round of Coach/Contributor after missing out on being named a finalist in the latest round of voting.
Schottenheimer was named a semifinalist, up for the honor with Buddy Parker, Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Frank “Bucko” Kilroy, Robert Kraft, Dan Reeves, Art Rooney Jr., Mike Shanahan, Clark Shaughnessy, Lloyd Wells, and John Wooten.
Schottenheimer got his break as a head coach with the Browns in 1984, when he replaced Sam Rutigliano, and he got his first full season as a head coach in 1985. That year, Schottenheimer and quarterback Bernie Kosar, who had just been selected in the 1985 supplemental draft, began an era of success in Cleveland that surpassed even the Kardiac Kids era that fans had rallied around.
In 2021, after a seven-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease, Schottenheimer died at the age of 77.
Parker, a two-time NFL championship-winning coach with the Detroit Lions, moved on to the final stage in the selection process for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024 after being named a finalist on Wednesday.
The eliminations were made by the Hall of Fame's Coach/Contributor committee.
After a change in 2022, the Coach and Contributor categories were combined and allowed just one to be elected into the classes in 2024 and 2025. Up to three Senior enshrinees can be selected and up to five Modern-Era Players.
Browns legendary linebacker Clay Matthews Jr. had been eliminated during cutdowns from the list of 60 semifinalists for the Class of 2024 Seniors category.
Schottenheimer and Matthews could both be back in consideration for the Class of 2025.
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