The NFL Coach of the Year Award race has plenty of candidates who are more than qualified to win the award.
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The NFL season has entered the playoffs, and the Super Bowl matchup has been determined. The NFL Honors awards show is set for Feb. 9, 2023, just three days before this year’s Super Bowl. One of the highest distinctions a current NFL coach can earn is the NFL Coach of the Year award. Unlike in past years, there seem to be far too many qualified candidates. From first-year head coaches to coaches on new teams, the competition for the highest coaching honor in the NFL is neck and neck. Although there are only allowed to be three finalists in the running, there are five candidates who could qualify for the award this year.
Brian Daboll: The head coach of the New York Football Giants has turned many heads in his first season with the team. Daboll, who holds his first-ever NFL head coaching job, has built a long and impressive resume. He was an offensive coordinator for many NFL teams, including the Bills most recently during the 2021-2022 season. He has also been an offensive coordinator at the University of Alabama under legendary coach Nick Saban. The Giants went 4-12 on the season before Daboll’s arrival, but Daboll turned the team around with a winning record and the 6th seed in the NFC playoffs.
The Giants have revitalized the careers of two top-ten draft picks quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley under Daboll’s leadership. The team entered the playoffs as underdogs, but many were shocked they even made it that far after plenty of lackluster seasons over the past decade. Then the team went on to beat the Vikings, proving that the Giants are a team who have completely changed their trajectory since the arrival of their novice head coach.
Nick Sirianni: Sirianni helped lead the Eagles to the one seed in the NFC and a trip to the Super Bowl. He has helped with the progress of young dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts. The Eagles have far exceeded expectations from the start of the year. The Eagles' success stems from Sirianni, who was largely unproven entering his first head coaching job in 2021. In his second season with the team, Sirianni found immediate success, as the Eagles won fourteen games during the regular season. Taking the Eagles to the Super Bowl has been the icing on the cake for Sirianni’s amazing season. The birds have been ranked a top-five team on both sides of the ball, showcasing the coaching ability of Sirianni and his staff.
Doug Pederson: The Jaguars coach took the team from a disastrous season to the playoffs in one year. Pederson, who won the Super Bowl in 2018 in his first head coaching job with the Philadelphia Eagles, hopes to reinvigorate Duvall nation. After Urban Meyer led one of the worst campaigns in NFL history, the Jags looked to Pederson to fix the organization, and that is what he did. The Jaguars came out on top of the AFC South, winning the division with a successful nine-win season. Pederson turned the team around in one season and has been instrumental in the development of young QB Trevor Lawrence. He tripled the Jag's win total from the 2021-2022 season and won a wild card playoff game before losing 27-20 to the AFC one-seed Kansas City Chiefs.
Dan Campbell: Campbell was the only coach on this list who did not make the playoffs, but he still made a strong case for his candidacy for the Coach of the Year award. The Lions gained a winning record of nine wins and eight losses. A massive culture shift led by the coach has altered the way the lions are looked at by many after this winning season. Campbell earned the head coaching job in 2021 and only won three games in his first year. Nonetheless, the Lions and Campbell stayed the course and tripled their win total this season. The Lions were not eliminated from playoff contention until the last week of the regular season. They still fought for a win that coincidentally knocked rivals Green Bay out of the playoff picture, while Campbell led a team with nothing to play for to a winning season.
Kyle Shanahan: The 49ers head coach has led a team plagued by quarterback injuries to a thirteen-win season and deep playoff run. The 49ers were plagued by injuries at the quarterback position all year long. They entered the playoffs with a rookie leading the offense through the playoffs. The way the offense was called Shanahan was nothing short of masterful. The offense seemed to evenly distribute touches between all the stars, Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle. Shanahan has proven he is not a one-hit-wonder as he led his team deep into the playoffs once again. Although they were defeated by a solid Philly team, the 49ers and Shanahan deserve credit for putting together an impressive season.