AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year Award

The AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year Award (ACOY) is presented annually by the Associated Press (AP) to the top assistant coach in the National Football League (NFL).[1][2] The winner is decided by votes from a nationwide panel of sportswriters who regularly report on the NFL.[3] The ACOY is presented alongside seven other AP awards at the NFL Honors and was first awarded following the 2014 season at the 4th Annual NFL Honors.[4][2] It is the first new NFL award presented by the AP since the Comeback Player of the Year Award was re-introduced in 1998.[1] Though all coaches aside from head coaches are eligible,[5] it has only been awarded to offensive or defensive coordinators so far.

AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year
Jim Schwartz from about the waist up in a Tenneessee Titans sweater and sunglasses.
Jim Schwartz, 2023 recipient
Awarded forAssistant coach of the year in the National Football League
Presented byAssociated Press
History
First award2014
Most recentJim Schwartz

Todd Bowles was the inaugural winner of the award and, following his award-winning season, was hired as the head coach of the New York Jets.[4][6] Four other coaches—Vic Fangio, DeMeco Ryans, Kyle Shanahan, and Pat Shurmur—were hired to head coaching positions following the seasons for which they won the award.[7][8][9][10] Two coaches—Brian Daboll and Dan Quinn—remained assistant coaches for at least another season after winning the award but were subsequently hired as head coaches.[11][12] Brian Daboll is the only person to have been named both the AP NFL Coach of the Year and ACOY.[11] Jim Schwartz, the defensive coordinator of the 2023 Cleveland Browns, is the most recent winner of the award.[13]

Winners

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Legend
* Denotes team won the Super Bowl that season
Winners of the AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year Award
Season Coach Position Team Ref
2014 Todd Bowles Defensive coordinator Arizona Cardinals [14]
2015 Wade Phillips Defensive coordinator Denver Broncos* [15]
2016 Kyle Shanahan Offensive coordinator Atlanta Falcons [16]
2017 Pat Shurmur Offensive coordinator Minnesota Vikings [17]
2018 Vic Fangio Defensive coordinator Chicago Bears [18]
2019 Greg Roman Offensive coordinator Baltimore Ravens [19]
2020 Brian Daboll Offensive coordinator Buffalo Bills [20]
2021 Dan Quinn Defensive coordinator Dallas Cowboys [21]
2022 DeMeco Ryans Defensive coordinator San Francisco 49ers [22]
2023 Jim Schwartz Defensive coordinator Cleveland Browns [23]

References

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  1. ^ a b Wilner, Barry (August 27, 2014). "New AP award to recognize top NFL assistant coach". Associated Press. New York. Archived from the original on November 27, 2024. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Sessler, Marc (August 27, 2014). "New AP award to recognize top NFL assistant coach". National Football League. Archived from the original on November 27, 2024. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
  3. ^ "AP updates voting system for its NFL awards" (Press release). New York: Associated Press. November 18, 2022. Archived from the original on July 22, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Bowles wins first AP Assistant Coach award". USA Today. Phoenix. Associated Press. January 31, 2015. Archived from the original on November 27, 2024. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
  5. ^ "Associated Press to recognize top NFL assistant coach". Sports Illustrated. August 27, 2014. Archived from the original on November 27, 2024. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  6. ^ "Jets fire coach Todd Bowles after 4 seasons with no playoffs". Sportsnet. New York. Associated Press. December 30, 2018. Archived from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  7. ^ Jensen, Chad (February 2, 2019). "Vic Fangio named AP's Assistant Coach of the Year". 247Sports. Archived from the original on November 27, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  8. ^ Guzman, Matt (February 10, 2023). "Texans DeMeco Ryans Wins Assistant Coach of the Year". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  9. ^ "49ers officially hire Kyle Shanahan as new head coach". Sportsnet. Santa Clara. Associated Press. February 6, 2017. Archived from the original on May 28, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  10. ^ "Pat Shurmur wins 2017 Assistant Coach of the Year". New York Giants. February 3, 2018. Archived from the original on October 1, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Elsen, Michael (February 13, 2023). "Brian Daboll named AP Coach of the Year". New York Giants. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  12. ^ Keim, John (February 24, 2024). "'He's your guy': How Steve Kerr and others influenced the Commanders to hire Dan Quinn". ESPN. Archived from the original on February 29, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  13. ^ "AP Assistant Coach of the Year Winners". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  14. ^ Wilner, Barry (January 31, 2015). "Bowles wins first AP Assistant Coach award". Associated Press. Phoenix. Archived from the original on November 27, 2024. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  15. ^ Wilner, Barry (February 6, 2016). "Denver's Wade Phillips wins assistant coach award". Associated Press. San Francisco. Archived from the original on November 27, 2024. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  16. ^ "Kyle Shanahan named NFL Assistant Coach of the Year". National Football League. February 4, 2017. Archived from the original on April 13, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  17. ^ Sessler, Marc (February 3, 2018). "Pat Shurmur named NFL Assistant Coach of the Year". National Football League. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
  18. ^ "Former Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio named NFL Assistant Coach of the Year". Chicago Tribune. Associated Press. February 2, 2019. Archived from the original on November 27, 2024. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  19. ^ "The Latest: Calais Campbell chosen NFL Man of the Year". Associated Press. Miami. February 1, 2020. Archived from the original on November 27, 2024. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
  20. ^ Maya, Adam (February 6, 2021). "Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll named AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year". National Football League. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  21. ^ Gordon, Grant (February 10, 2022). "Dan Quinn earns 2021 AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year after Cowboys' turnaround". National Football League. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  22. ^ Kownack, Bobby (February 9, 2023). "Former 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans named AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year". National Football League. Archived from the original on July 4, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  23. ^ Moeglin, Anthony (February 8, 2024). "Browns Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz Wins 2023 AP Assistant Coach of the Year". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved November 26, 2024.