Few coaches played a bigger role in Drew Brees’ development than Marty Schottenheimer. But today, it is the quarterback who gets to wear a golden jacket at Canton as a Hall of Famer, while the late coach remains absent. When asked about the idea of Schottenheimer being inducted into the Hall of Fame, Brees did not hesitate.

“Thousand percent,” the former quarterback told Starcade Media when they asked if Schottenheimer should get into the Hall of Fame. 

“First of all, Marty Schottenheimer is one of the greatest coaches of all time,” Brees explained, reflecting on his time with the Chargers. “The impact he had on my career was immeasurable. And look, it wasn’t all roses. We had some knockdown, drag-out screamer matches when he benched me three times. But I deserved it. It made me a better player, made me a better person, better leader.

Marty Schottenheimer arrived in San Diego one year after Drew Brees was drafted. There were times when the duo would not see eye to eye during their stint with the Chargers. However, this laid the foundation for Brees to build a career worthy enough for a spot in the Hall of Fame.

Through two decades, he amassed 200 regular-season wins, 126 losses, and one tie. These numbers made him one of the league’s winningest coaches. He witnessed consistent success across multiple franchises, including the Cleveland Browns, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Washington Redskins, and the San Diego Chargers. In his entire career, he recorded only two losing seasons.

But even with all these accolades, the Hall of Fame battle seems hard for the former coach. His son, Brian Schottenheimer, recently opened up about his chances of getting inducted into the Hall of Fame. 

“At the end of the day, the way the game has changed, guys, the passing, the records, the yards, the touchdowns, it’s going to be really hard,” Brian Schottenheimer said during his appearance on The Twins Take podcast. “And I’ve actually got several people, actually one of our beat writers here is on the Hall of Fame committee, and they all say, ‘Brian, he’s worthy of it. But, unfortunately, it’s going to be really hard for him.’ Because guys like Drew Brees are getting in and there are coaches like Bill Belichick that, again, they don’t make it and ultimately will. But it’s just so competitive.” 

For the record, the younger Schottenheimer also made it clear that he is very good friends with Brees. But every year, someone deserving of a Hall of Fame induction doesn’t make the cut. If Bill Belichick could not clear the vote, it’s unlikely that Marty Schottenheimer gets in anytime soon.

Nevertheless, Schottenheimer’s legacy is firmly secured in the cities where he coached. Back in 2010, the Chiefs enshrined Marty Schottenheimer into their Hall of Honor. That cemented his status as a franchise legend. 

Schottenheimer hung up his whistle years ago, and the impact he left on players like Brees continues to shape how he is remembered. However, the legendary coach’s legacy would be better represented with his bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.