Cleveland Browns HC Kevin Stefanski wins Coach of the Year at NFL Honors

Kevin Stefanski is just the second Cleveland Browns coach to win Coach of the Year honors

In his first season with the Cleveland Browns and as a head coach in the NFL, Kevin Stefanski has won his first AP Coach of the Year award of his young career.

Stefanski won the award over Dolphins’ Brian Flores, Chiefs’ Andy Reid, Packers’ Aaron Rodgers (jokes, it was Matt LaFleur), and Bills’ Sean McDermott.

After spending the majority of his career as positional coaches in Minnesota, he became the interim offensive coordinator for the Vikings in 2018 and became the full-time OC in 2019.

https://twitter.com/Browns/status/1358247236543602689?s=20

Going into the offseason in 2020, Stefanski was being heavily pursued as a head coaching candidate during the 2020 offseason before signing a five-year contract with the Cleveland Browns.

In his first season with the Browns, Stefanski led the team to an 11-5 record, their best since Bill Belichick’s 1994 team. It was also the Browns first playoff appearance since 2002. Kevin Stefanski is the first Cleveland Browns head coach to win the AP Coach of the Year since Hall of Fame coach Forrest Gregg did, 44 years ago, in 1976.

The Browns had one of the best rushing offenses in the league, this past season, along with a quality passing game. His system allowed Baker Mayfield to shine, even with the early season loss of Odell Beckham Jr, while allowing Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt to emerge as the best running back tandem in the NFL.

Stefanski has four years left on his contract, and at the rate this season went, Browns fans should expect him to be extended in the not too distant future. Stefanski’s first season under normal circumstances, post COVID-19, should be a fun one to watch.

With a lot of potential changes coming this offseason, Stefanski and the Browns have a lot of work still to do to not only win their division but make a serious run in the playoffs.