Falling short of winning the NFL Coach of the Year tonight was Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio. Having won the 101 AFC Coach of the Year, Del Rio was a strong candidate. But he would lose to NFC candidate, Jason Garrett
Garrett was very deserving. He lost his starting quarterback Tony Tomo and rode rookie Dak Prescott to the league’s second best record (13-3) and the number one seed in the NFC. Their 13 wins was a 9-game improvement after finishing 4-12 and last in the NFC East in 2015.
Del Rio’s rise was slightly more gradual, having led the Raiders’ resurgence from a 3-13 team in 2014 to 7-9 in 2015 and then to a 12-4 record and the team’s first playoff berth in 14 years.
The Bay Area native came home two seasons ago to coach the team of which he grew up a fan.
Even still, he would receive just four votes, which would put him below Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Dolphins head coach Adam Gase
AP Coach of Year:
— Dennis Waszak Jr. (@DWAZ73) February 5, 2017
JASON GARRETT, Dallas 25
Bill Belichick, NE 14
Adam Gase, Mia 6
Jack Del Rio, Oak 4
Andy Reid, KC 1#NFL
Belichick coached the Patriots to the NFL’s best record with his team playing in the Super Bowl Sunday. The Dolphins improved under Gase from 6-10 in 2015 to 10-6 and a playoff berth in 2016.
It seemed to me Jack Del Rio had an extremely strong case for Coach of the Year. Certainly deserving of more than 4 votes. I made the case for him here.
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