Legendary NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer has passed away at the age of 77, Chris Mortensen of ESPN reports. The long-time NFL mentor had a long battle with Alzheimer's since 2014 before succumbing to the disease on Monday, Feb. 8. He peacefully passed in Charlotte, North Carolina with his family by his side.

According to Mortensen, the Schottenheimer family will hold a service privately, but will also set a memorial to commemorate the life of the legendary coach.

This is definitely sad news for the NFL family, considering what Schottenheimer has meant to the sport. Schottenheimer spent 21 seasons on the sidelines for the NFL. He spent time working for four teams in his NFL coaching career – five years with the Cleveland Browns, 10 with the Kansas City Chiefs, a season with Washington, and five with the San Diego Chargers.

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Before coaching, Schottenheimer played six seasons in the AFL as a linebacker. He spent four years with the Buffalo Bills from 1965 to 1968 and two campaigns with the Boston Patriots. As a member of the Bills, Schottenheimer helped them win the AFL championship in 1965, where he also made the All-Star team as a rookie.

As a coach, Schottenheimer tallied an incredible record of 200-126-1. Despite his strong regular season credentials, he didn't find the same success in the postseason and never made it to the top.

Schottenheimer became known for “Martyball,” which carried a less than ideal connotation as a result of his struggles in the postseason. Nevertheless, it's hard to argue the impact that his mind had on the sport.