Brian Daboll was the Giants’ fourth full-time head coach since they last made the postseason in 2016. In the five years before his hiring, the Giants went a combined 22-59 and finished in the NFC East cellar three times.
Daboll changed the culture and turned around the fortunes of the Giants in his first season. He was rewarded by earning the official coach of the year award, which was announced Thursday night at NFL Honors.
Associated Press selectors picked Daboll over 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson. Daboll received 16 first-place votes and 123 total, with Shanahan second (12 first-place votes, 100 total) and Pederson third (five first-place votes, 75 total).
Bills coach Sean McDermott (seven, 48), Eagles coach Nick Sirianni (six, 45), Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell (one, 23), Lions coach Dan Campbell (one, 15), Chiefs coach Andy Reid (two, 10), Seahawks coach Pete Carroll (six total points) and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin (five total points) were the other coaches to receive votes.
The Giants finished 9-7-1 and made the playoffs, ending their season with a loss to the Eagles in the divisional round after an upset of the Vikings in the wild card round.
The club went from 31st in both points scored and total yards in consecutive years under former head coach Joe Judge to No. 15 in points and No. 18 in total yards in 2022.
Daboll won the award, but Shanahan and Pederson both had solid cases.
Shanahan’s 49ers started the season with Trey Lance at quarterback but then went to Jimmy Garoppolo when Lance got hurt in Week 2. When Garoppolo was injured in Week 13, the team turned to the last pick of the 2022 draft in Brock Purdy. San Francisco nevertheless won the NFC West at 13-4 and finished No. 5 in total yards and No. 6 in points scored.
The Jaguars, after back-to-back seasons of finishing with the worst record in football, won the AFC South in Pederson’s first season at the helm. Trevor Lawrence looked a lot more like a franchise quarterback in his second season, throwing for 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions in the regular season.