Coaching legend Marty Schottenheimer battled Alzheimer’s in the final years of his life. His family continues to fundraise towards finding a cure.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Marty Schottenheimer, one of the best and most beloved coaches in the NFL, died after a 10-year battle with Alzheimer’s in 2021.
Now, his family is seeking solutions for the disease through a fundraiser and a challenge.
For Kristen Schottenheimer, the memory of her dad is larger than his legendary status.
“He was always my safe place, always my hero,” she said. “He was so much more than just a football coach.”
Marty Schottenheimer was one of the winningest head football coaches ever, but his family will tell you his toughest challenge was off the field.
“As a family, we have been very fortunate in so many ways, but Alzheimer’s is the one thing that kicked our tail,” Pat Schottenheimer, Marty’s wife, said. “As a family, we all try to do what we can.”
WCNC Charlotte first met the Schottenheimer family back in 2017, when Marty was taking part in a clinical trial. Marty credited Pat for helping him get through the trial. Marty spent his last years in hospice.
“I miss Marty every day,” Pat said. “We had our 54th anniversary in hospice.”
Marty has been gone for four years now, but his family is still coming through for the man who always came through for so many. His daughter is spearheading the effort based on something she first did during the last few months of the beloved coach’s life.
“I was literally feeling the weight of caring for him and it was heavy,” Kristen said. “And it came to me, I want people to know how hard it is to deal with Alzheimer’s and how important it is to try to find a cure.”
To represent the weight of Alzheimer’s, Kristen wore a weighted vest from sunup to sunrise on the longest day of the year – a day the Alzheimer’s community uses to spread awareness.
She’s done the challenge every year since.
This year, she’s challenging others to join her.
“We, as a family, went through this terrible experience,” Kristen said. “As my mom said, it was the one thing that took us to our knees. But, I feel like I’m at the point now we’re doing what he said — put one foot in front of the other and we’re gonna figure it out.”
The Schottenheimers say that’s what the coach would have wanted, to help others fighting the disease that robbed him of so much.
If you want to get involved with the longest day fundraiser or want more information on the family’s ongoing efforts, you can check out their website or Instagram account.
Contact Michelle Boudin at mboudin@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.