Once again, the AP’s coach of the year comes from the Browns.
Cleveland’s Kevin Stefanski has won the award for the second time in four seasons, as announced during the NFL Honors ceremony on Thursday night.
Stefanski, 41, led the Browns to an 11-6 record and a postseason appearance despite starting five quarterbacks during the regular season. Four of the team’s starters — Deshaun Watson, P.J. Walker, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and Joe Flacco — won at least one game.
After beginning the season healthy, Watson started just six games for the Browns, playing significant snaps in just five. But the team also lost its best offensive player in running back Nick Chubb during the team’s Week 2 loss to Pittsburgh.
Still, the Browns won four games in a row down the stretch with Joe Flacco at quarterback to clinch the AFC’s No. 5 seed in Week 17.
Stefanski also made one of the best hires of the offseason, bringing in Jim Schwartz to be the club’s defensive coordinator. The Browns finished No. 1 in yards allowed in 2023.
Houston’s DeMeco Ryans, Detroit’s Dan Campbell, Baltimore’s John Harbaugh, and San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan were the other finalists for coach of the year.
Stefanski and Ryans received the same number of points (165) for the award with first, second, and third-place votes. But Stefanski received 21 first-place votes to Ryans’ 20 for the tiebreaker.
Stefanski previously won the award in 2020 after leading the Browns to their first postseason appearance since 2002.
Campbell and Shanahan received three first-place votes, Harbaugh received two, and Rams coach Sean McVay received one.
Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin, Indianapolis’ Shane Steichen, Green Bay’s Matt LaFleur, Tampa Bay’s Todd Bowles, Miami’s Mike McDaniel, and Buffalo’s Sean McDermott also received votes.
