Remember when there was a slam-dunk Coach of the Year in Kansas City? Now it's a crowded field of many who are worthy of the award. The following list ranks the candidates.
Andy Reid, Chiefs. He was the easy early choice after their 9-0 start following a 2-14 finish in 2012, but his team’s 2-4 record since has cooled off the once red-hot Red Tomato. Given his dismissal in Philadelphia despite years of success, Reed has aced the challenge of restoring his reputation as a top coach in Kansas City. Reid won Coach of the Year with the Eagles; 11 years later, he remains the favorite to get his second award.
Chip Kelly, Eagles. In a twist, Philadelphia was right in both moving on from Reid and replacing with him Kelly. The coaching lifer silenced all critics who thought his college offense would never work in the NFL. Kelly’s got the Eagles rolling with Nick Foles at quarterback, and the fast-and-furious attitude spilled over to a defense that also saw sweeping change. It took time for him to find the right QB and everything to jell, but the Eagles enter Week 17 having won six of the past seven and on the verge of going from worst to first in the league’s most competitive division.
Ron Rivera, Panthers. When your coach gets a nickname as glossy as “Riverboat Ron” while your team is having a breakout season, you know his work has much to do with it. Whether it’s going for it on fourth down in the red zone or sensing when not to take chances (see punting late vs. the Saints last week), Rivera has been cool and calculated. Carolina has become much better in close games, going 15-4 in them since last Dec. 9. Not to be forgotten is how Rivera has worked to help quarterback Cam Newton become an extension of his winning leadership.
Chuck Pagano, Colts. Pagano, through his battle with leukemia last year, went 2-2 in his first regular season. In the interim, Bruce Arians led the Colts to a 9-3 record and earned both NFL Coach of the Year and Sporting News Coordinator of the Year honors. Pagano recovered, and even without Arians overseeing Andrew Luck and the offense, his Colts improved on their 2012 wild-card berth by winning the AFC South. Along the way, Indianapolis racked up signature wins over San Francisco, Seattle, Denver and Kansas City.
Bruce Arians, Cardinals. It didn’t take long for Arians to land his first NFL head coaching job at 61 after his work with the Colts. He defies his age by relating well to his much younger players, which is the reason Arizona was so attracted to him. Despite offensive limitations on a defensive-minded team, Arians has adjusted well. In any other year, in any other division that isn’t the top-loaded NFC West, taking a team from 5-11 to 10-5 would make one a shoo-in for Coach of the Year. But given that the Cards can finish 11-5 and still not make the playoffs, Arians won’t get quite enough voting attention to repeat.
Sean Payton, Saints. New Orleans found out last year how much it missed Payton, falling to 7-9 after going 13-3 in 2011. We’ve seen this year that one man can make a difference, as the Saints are back up to 10-5 and set to take at least an NFC wild card. Payton’s yearlong NFL suspension created the rare “It’s a Wonderful Life” situation in which the Saints saw what a season would be like without him. Now Drew Brees and Co. have their wings back.
Pete Carroll, Seahawks. One of the hardest things to do as a coach is to have your team meet the greatest of expectations. Even though Seattle has stumbled a bit in recent weeks, it boasts the NFC’s best record at 12-3 and remains a favorite to get to and win Super Bowl XLVIII. Carroll has been a better, different NFL coach in his second try, using his still-youthful energy at 62 and college feel bring his team to the door of a pro championship.
Joe Philbin, Dolphins. Of the other offensive-minded coaches in the Arians vein trying to get their teams into the playoffs in Week 17, Philbin gets the nod over the Bears’ Marc Trestman and the Chargers’ Mike McCoy. Like Trestman and McCoy, Philbin has gotten improved quarterback play as Ryan Tannehill continues to develop. Instead of being weighed down by the Jonathan Martin-Richie Incognito off-field controversy, Philbin has excelled at getting his players to focus on the field. A wild-card berth would cap his underrated work.
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