The 2023-2024 NFL Honors has announced the AP Coach of the Year award winner. The field was voted on before the playoffs and was limited down to five finalists earlier in January. However, only one person can win the award. Who won this year’s AP Coach of the Year award, and what did they do to earn it?
Kevin Stefanski Wins AP Coach of the Year Award
The AP Coach of the Year Award has been given to Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski.
The win marks the second time in his career Stefanski has won the award, winning it for the first time in 2020. This year, he won it over fellow candidates Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions), John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens), Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers), and DeMeco Ryans (Houston Texans).
#Browns HC Kevin Stefanski is the 2023 AP Coach of the Year. 🏆#DawgPound | #NFLHonors pic.twitter.com/8XdkllJwMx
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) February 9, 2024
The Browns finished the 2023 regular season with an 11-6 record, finishing second in the AFC North. Additionally, they earned the AFC’s fifth seed in the playoffs, traveling to Houston in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Ultimately, they fell to the Texans, 45-14.
The Browns additionally saw seven players make the Pro Bowl (Joel Bitonio, Amari Cooper, Myles Garrett, David Njoku, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Wyatt Teller, and Denzel Ward) and one earn AP All-Pro honors (Garrett).
The biggest storyline for the Browns this season was their QB situation. The team saw five different quarterbacks start after season-starter Deshaun Watson suffered multiple injuries, including a season-ending shoulder injury.
Watson played in six games, passing for 1,115 yards, seven touchdowns, and four interceptions. He also rushed for 142 yards and one more score. The Browns were 5-1 in the games he started.
Watson was initially replaced by rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson and veteran P.J. Walker, who each started three and two games, respectively. They combined for a 2-3 record as starters and totaled 1,114 passing yards, two touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
After those three came the biggest part of the story, Joe Flacco. After signing Flacco midseason, the Browns went 4-1 with him as the starter.
In those games, he passed for 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. As a result, Flacco was named a finalist for AP Comeback Player of the Year.
In Cleveland’s final regular-season game, Jeff Driskel drew the start. In the loss, Driskel went 13 of 26 for 166 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.
MORE: 2024 NFL Awards Winners — List of 2023-2024 NFL Honors Results
The Browns finished 2023 with the top-ranked defense, allowing just 270.2 yards per game and only 44 touchdowns on the season. Additionally, they had the 16th-ranked offense, averaging 335.9 yards per game and scoring 42 touchdowns.
Stefanski has now coached the Browns for three full seasons after being hired in 2020. His career head coaching record is 38-32, including a 1-2 postseason record. Under his lead, Cleveland has had as many playoff game appearances (3) as they had from all of 1994-2019.
Previous AP Coach of the Year Winners
In 2022, New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll took home the award. Daboll had taken the Giants from one of the worst teams in the NFL to the playoffs in just his first season as the team’s head coach.
Daboll also helped quarterback Daniel Jones boost his career enough to earn a new deal with the team. In 2022, Jones passed for 3,205 yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He also rushed for 708 yards and seven touchdowns.
- 2021: Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans
- 2020: Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
- 2019: John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
- 2018: Matt Nagy, Chicago Bears
As the 2023 NFL season comes to a close, the 2024 NFL Draft is on the horizon. Pro Football Network has you covered with everything from team draft needs to the Top 100 prospects available. Plus, fire up PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator to put yourself in the general manager’s seat and make all the calls!
