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Former NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer is battling Alzheimer's disease, ESPN.com reported Friday. Schottenheimer, 73, was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's five years ago. He is about to start a trial of a new drug that may slow down the debilitating disease.
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"He's in the best of health, (but) sometimes he just doesn't remember everything," Schottenheimer's wife, Pat, told ESPN.com. "He functions extremely well, plays golf several times a week. He's got that memory lag where he'll ask you the same question three or four times.
"He remembers people and faces, and he pulls out strange things that I've never heard, but he's doing well. It's going be a long road. We both know that."
The Schottenheimers are in Cleveland this weekend for the 30-year reunion of the 1986 Browns, who won 12 games as part of a run of four consecutive playoff appearances.
Schottenheimer, who won 200 games as an NFL coach, guided the Browns to two AFC Championship Games -- they lost to the Denver Broncos both times -- while compiling a 44-27 record over 4 1/2 seasons.
He left following the 1988 season to become coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and went 101-58-1 from 1989-98. The 1993 Chiefs also advanced to the AFC title game before losing.
Schottenheimer also coached the Washington Redskins (8-8 in 2001) and San Diego Chargers (47-33 from 2002-06).
He went a franchise-best 14-2 in his final season in San Diego but the LaDainian Tomlinson-led Chargers fell to the New England Patriots in the divisional round.
About a month later, Schottenheimer was fired as the organization decided to end the longstanding turmoil between Schottenheimer and general manager A.J. Smith by firing Schottenheimer. Team president Dean Spanos termed it "a dysfunctional situation" when announcing the move.
Despite a stellar 200-126-1 record in the regular season, Schottenheimer was just 5-13 in the postseason.
