Collegiate coaching Schottenheimer then pursued a coaching career in the college ranks, working as the defensive coordinator for
William Paterson University in 1974, the linebackers and defensive backs coach at
Michigan State from 1978 to 1982, at
Tulane as the defensive backs coach in 1983, then as a linebackers coach for
LSU from 1984 to 1985 and with
Notre Dame in 1986.
Professional coaching Schottenheimer's successful work at the college level interested NFL teams, and he was hired by the
Cleveland Browns in 1987, to be their special teams coordinator. He then accepted the same position with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1989, and remained there until 1994. Following his productive run leading the Chiefs special teams, he went on to coach Kansas City's defensive backs from 1995 to 1998, before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 1999. Schottenheimer spent three more seasons as a defensive coordinator in the NFL, serving one year with the Washington Redskins (2001) and two seasons with the Detroit Lions (2002–2003). He then served as the secondary coach in Green Bay from 2006 until 2008. It marked Schottenheimer's second stint with the Packers, having coached defensive backs for the team in 2004, before spending one year as the secondary coach for the St. Louis Rams (2005). Schottenheimer was hired by Head Coach
Mike Singletary to be the San Francisco 49ers' special teams coordinator for the 2010 season. He was dismissed at the conclusion of the season following the team's firing of Singletary. After this, he joined his older brother,
Marty Schottenheimer at the new
Virginia Destroyers franchise of the United Football League. In September 2012, just prior to the start of the
2012 UFL season, Schottenheimer was named as his brother's successor as head coach of the Destroyers. However, the league suspended operations during the season, and the Destroyers ended the shortened season with a 1–3 record. ==Head coaching record==