by As usual, the Associated Press announced five finalists for the Coach of the Year award on Wednesday. The quintet of candidates – the Giants‘Brian Daboll, the bills‘ Sean McDermott, who jaguars‘ Doug Pederson, the 49ers‘Kyle Shanahan and the EagleNick Sirianni – everyone deserves it. Daboll and Pederson performed amazing turnarounds in the first year. Shanahan led a team to the NFC Championship by third quarterback, McDermott steered his team through one of the most horrific injuries in NFL history, and Sirianni steered Philadelphia to a franchise-record 14 wins.
However, three other coaches can plausibly claim to have been snubbed for the league’s most prestigious coaching award. Here’s a look at who else could have made the list of finalists for AP Coach of the Year.
Pete Carroll, Seahawks
the Seahawks were pronounced dead by many ahead of the 2022 season. In March, Seattle treated the quarterback Russell Wilson– the face of the franchise for a decade – for Broncos for a selection of players and draft capital. Seattle seemed to be starting over in a minefield of an NFC West that included three 2021 playoff teams including the defending Super Bowl champion Aries.
Then domino after domino fell toward the Seahawks. Los Angeles fell off the face of the earth. the cardinals wriggled. quarterback Geno Smith became a revelation while Wilson played the worst football of his career. The result was a playoff offer for a young team and a vindication for Carroll in his 13th season in Seattle.
Dan Campbell, Lions
Coaching stability is something that’s been badly lacking in Detroit for the past several decades. Since Wayne Fontes’ tenure ended in 1996, Jim Schwartz, who ran the franchise from 2009 to 2013, has been the Lions’ longest-serving coach.
Dan Campbell seems destined to change this pattern in the near future. In his sophomore year with Detroit, Campbell turned from 3-13-1 to 9-8. With the help of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson — a finalist for AP’s Assistant Coach of the Year award — Campbell pulled the league’s fifth-most points per game from an attacking quarterback Jared Goff.
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Mike Tomlin, Steelers
Even before 2022, Tomlin was being hailed as one of the most consistent regular-season winners in NFL history, if not American sports history. This reputation grew after leading the first Steeler Swiss Post teamBen Rothlisberger era to a turning point for eternity.
On October 30, Pittsburgh was a miserable 2-6, as a quarterback caught in a swamp Kenny Pickett worked through rookie growing pains. The Steelers took advantage of a soft stretch in late November and early December and caught fire. Defeats the Panthers, robber and ravens In late December and early January, they brought them into the postseason in the last week of the season, and even the elimination couldn’t dim the shine of a 16th undefeated season in 16 years for Tomlin.
