Skip to main content
Advertising

AP Coach of the Year announced Wednesday on NFL Network

Watch live on Total Access:![](http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork)
The Coach of the Year award winner will be announced during Total Access (airing at 7 p.m. ET) on Wednesday, Feb. 2.

Bill Belichick, Todd Haley, Mike McCarthy, Raheem Morris, Andy Reid, Mike Smith and Mike Tomlin are expected to be among the top vote-getters for AP Coach of the Year honors when the winner is announced on Wednesday.

For the first time, the entire slate of Associated Press' end-of-season NFL awards -- MVP, Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, and Coach of the Year -- will be unveiled on NFL Network during Super Bowl week from North Texas.

The ballots for each AP award were handed in at the conclusion of the regular season before the start of the playoffs. Vote for which coach you think should receive the award.

Bill Belichick, New England Patriots

Most teams struggle while turning over major parts of the roster. Apparently that doesn't apply when Belichick is involved. New England fielded one of the league's youngest teams, especially on defense, and still managed to finish with the NFL's best record at 14-2. And to think, Belichick pulled this off without the assistance of an offensive or defensive coordinator.

Todd Haley, Kansas City Chiefs

From 2007-09, Kansas City was one of the league's worst teams. That all changed this season, and Haley's coaching was a significant reason. He delegated more responsibility to his coordinators and, as a result, was able to focus on the big picture and keep his team on track. The Chiefs went wire-to-wire in the AFC West, winning their first division title since 2003.

Mike McCarthy, Green Bay Packers

The Packers lost a star performer seemingly every week, including starting with RB Ryan Grant in the opener. Having to plug in players that weren't even on the active roster to begin the year did not seem to have much of an impact on McCarthy, however, as he still guided Green Bay to a playoff berth, its third postseason appearance in the past four years.

Raheem Morris, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Entering the season, the Buccaneers were coming off a 3-13 campaign and were expected to struggle again. Morris wouldn't let that happen. He took a roster that featured question marks everywhere and plugged in rookie after rookie, while continuing to win. That Tampa Bay was able to go 10-6 despite dealing with a rash of injuries and having such inexperience is a testament to Morris' ability.

Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles underwent a youth movement in the offseason and were expected to take a step back in the rugged NFC East. Instead, they won the division. Reid had the guts to stick with a hot Michael Vick at quarterback, and the continued development of the team's young offensive playmakers is a credit to Reid's prowess as a teacher.

Mike Smith, Atlanta Falcons

After helping Atlanta post the first back-to-back winning seasons in franchise history from 2008-09, Smith followed up with his best coaching job yet. He took a defense that lacked proven playmakers and turned it into one of the league's better units, and he was a major reason why Atlanta claimed the NFC's top record at 13-3.

Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers

Losing the franchise quarterback to a suspension for the first four weeks of the season is never the ideal situation, but Tomlin made it work for Pittsburgh. The Steelers went 3-1 while Ben Roethlisberger was out, and ended the season with a 12-4 mark and the AFC North title. Tomlin is largely responsible for keeping the team focused and the wins that followed.

This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an issue.