With five weeks to go in the 2013 NFL regular season, there’s still plenty of football left to be played, but there’s no denying that the ferocious debate over year-end awards has already begun. However, while some seem pretty well decided at this point—like Peyton Manning for AFC MVP—others are very much up for grabs, which means they are ripe for discussion.
One of those awards is the coveted NFL Coach of the Year and with so many surprise teams vying for playoff spots this season, there are plenty of new faces making major noise in this category. Of course, there are some usual suspects doing incredible work under unfavorable circumstances who deserve some attention too. So, without further ado, here are our top five picks for the 2013 AP NFL Coach of the Year award (in no particular order):
Ron Rivera – Carolina Panthers
Even in the coaching world, Ron Rivera is far from a household name, but that could all change this season, depending on how far he can take his Carolina Panthers. After leading the Panthers to disappointing 6-10 and 7-9 finishes in 2011 and 2012, respectively, Rivera has the upstart Panthers at 8-3 coming into week 13 this season and in prime playoff position.
The Panthers have been a pleasant surprise out of the NFC and Rivera’s defensive-minded approach is a big reason. Currently ranked seventh in the league in pass defense and third in rush defense, the Panthers have embodied the aggression, tenacity and focus that Rivera thrived off of as a member of the legendary 1985 Chicago Bears defense. We’ll just have to wait and see if the discipline Rivera has instilled in his players leads them to the same place his old ’85 Bears went—the Super Bowl.
Chip Kelly – Philadelphia Eagles
As the recipient of numerous collegiate coaching awards, Chip Kelly is no stranger to success or the adulation that comes with it. However, after taking on a new challenge as a first-year NFL head coach with the Philadelphia Eagles this season, Kelly was confronted with a fair amount of skepticism. Naturally, NFL fans (particularly Eagles fans) wondered if his up-tempo offensive style and penchant for risky calls would translate from college to the pros.
While Kelly’s certainly had to make adjustments to his old schemes, the results speak for themselves. After just 12 weeks, Kelly has already guided Philadelphia to two more wins (6) than it enjoyed all of last season and incredibly, has the Eagles sitting atop the NFC East standings in a first-place tie with the Dallas Cowboys. What’s perhaps more impressive is that he’s done it without star quarterback Michael Vick for much of the season and during Vick’s absence and has begun developing a young star in Nick Foles, whom he named the team’s starter for the remainder of the season earlier this week.
Bruce Arians – Arizona Cardinals
After leading the Indianapolis Colts to one of the NFL’s best records as an interim coach last year, Bruce Arians won the 2012 Coach of the Year award and became one of the league’s hottest head coaching commodities this past offseason. However, it’s safe to say there weren’t many who thought he could make the Arizona Cardinals a playoff contender, as least not in his first year at the helm.
Flash forward to week 13 of this season and that’s exactly what Arians has done with the once lowly Cards. In the most competitive division in football—the NFC West—Arians has the Cardinals at 7-4 and in the hunt for an NFC wild card spot. In addition, he’s done it with most of the same roster the team had last year, which is proof that a good coach can make a big difference in short order. There’s no doubt Arizona’s impressive turnaround has our attention and is the biggest reason why Arians’ name is in the NFL Coach of the Year hat.
Bill Belichick – New England Patriots
Bill Belichick is certainly used to seeing his name among the top candidates for Coach of the Year. He’s even won the award three times, but he’s arguably doing his finest work this season in leading the Patriots to an 8-3 mark amid distractions, such as the Aaron Hernandez case, and despite significant injuries to Vince Wilfork, Jerod Mayo and Rob Gronkowski.
Not all of New England’s wins have looked pretty this season, but considering the hardships the Patriots have had to endure, the fact that they have only lost three games (two of which were controversial) speaks volumes to how strong a coach and how consistent a winner Belichick truly is. As a past winner of this award, he may get overlooked this year, but that won’t prevent the Pats from winning the AFC East for the fifth consecutive season.
Andy Reid – Kansas City Chiefs
Of course, this list, or any list of this sort, wouldn’t be complete without Andy Reid. In taking over the Kansas City Chiefs – who finished with a pitiful 2-14 record last year – Reid undoubtedly had a major challenge in front of him in 2013. Yet, he has managed to not only transform the Chiefs into a playoff contender, but has put them in position to claim the number one overall seed in the AFC playoffs and home field advantage with an incredible 9-2 record heading into this weekend’s action.
Under a proven winner like Reid, we expected the Chiefs to improve this season, but their remarkable turnaround is by far one of the best, if not the best, the league has ever seen. Of course, the Chiefs still have work to do, but at this point in the season, we have no choice but to call Reid the frontrunner for the 2013 NFL Coach of the Year award.
