Kevin Stefanski Wins 2023-24 NFL Coach of the Year Award Over DeMeco Ryans, More

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski was named NFL Coach of the Year for the 2023 season during Thursday's NFL Honors ceremony.

Stefanski, who was also named Coach of the Year in 2020, looked like a miracle worker while he overcame a tumultuous season that saw five different quarterbacks start games for Cleveland.

Despite the massive turnover at the most important position plus a season-ending knee injury to star running back Nick Chubb, the Browns finished with an 11-6 record and earned the No. 5 seed in the AFC before falling to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round.

Stefanski particularly earned praise for resurrecting the career of Joe Flacco, who got off his couch to become the team's starter for the final five weeks of the season and went 4-1 to lead Cleveland's playoff push. Flacco was named a finalist for Comeback Player of the Year after throwing for 1,616 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions in his limited time with the team.

The Browns defense also stood head-and-shoulders above the rest of the league as the best unit in the NFL. Cleveland ranked first with 270.2 yards allowed per game.

Stefanski beat out fellow finalists DeMeco Ryans of the Houston Texans, Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions, John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens and Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers.

Ryans was in his first year as an NFL head coach, but it didn't take him long to excel in the position. He spearheaded an instant turnaround for a Houston team that hadn't won more than four games in any of the three previous seasons.

Under Ryan's direction, the Texans exceeded expectations and went 10-7 to win the AFC South title for the seventh time in franchise history and first since 2019. Houston went on to defeat the Cleveland Browns in the AFC Wild Card Round before falling to the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round.

Ryans and his staff were instrumental in the development of 2023 No. 2 pick C.J. Stroud, who was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after his stellar season. The Ohio State product had one of the best seasons for a rookie quarterback, throwing for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions in 15 games. It's clear that the future is bright in Houston with Ryans and Stroud leading the way.

It took Campbell just three seasons to rise from the coach known for biting kneecaps to a nominee for NFL Coach of the Year. He turned the Lions into an NFC powerhouse, as they finished tied for the best record in the conference at 12-5. Detroit won its first division title since 1993 and advanced to the NFC Championship Game, where it fell to the San Francisco 49ers.

The Lions were a balanced team that excelled on both sides of the ball in 2023. They ranked third in total offense with 394.8 yards per game and second in rushing defense with 88.8 yards allowed per game. Quarterback Jared Goff ranked second in the league with 4,575 passing yards and fourth with 30 touchdowns.

Detroit sent a total of seven players to the Pro Bowl, with defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, tight end Sam LaPorta, center Frank Ragnow, special teamer Jalen Reeves-Maybin and right tackle Penei Sewell being voted in, and receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and running back Jahmyr Gibbs being selected as alternates. It was the franchise's most Pro Bowl selections in the Super Bowl era.

Harbaugh, who was named Coach of the Year in 2019, earned a nomination after Baltimore's dominant season in which the team finished with the best record in the NFL at 13-4. The Ravens fell short of expectations and lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.

Baltimore led the league in rushing offense at 156.5 yards per game and ranked sixth in total offense at 370.4. The team's defense was excellent as well, also ranking sixth 301.4 yards allowed per game.

The Ravens were treated to another immaculate season by star quarterback Lamar Jackson, who was named a finalist for NFL MVP and was also a finalist for Offensive Player of the Year after re-establishing himself as one of the greatest offensive talents in the league following a few injury-riddled seasons. He threw for 3,678 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions while leading the team with 821 rushing yards and adding five more scores on the ground.

Shanahan has been regarded as one of the best coaches in the NFL since he took the helm in San Francisco in 2017. Under Shanahan's direction this year, the 49ers finished as the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a 12-5 record and made it to the Super Bowl for the second time in the last five years. San Francisco will face the Kansas City Chiefs for the second time in the biggest game of the year on Sunday.

Shanahan's development of 2022 seventh-round pick Brock Purdy has been lauded, as he turned Mr. Irrelevant into one of the best starting quarterbacks in the league. Purdy was named a finalist for NFL MVP for the first time after leading the league with a 113.0 passer rating, ranking third with 31 passing touchdowns and fifth with 4,280 yards.

In addition to Purdy's brilliant season, running back Christian McCaffrey was also named a finalist for NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for a career-high 1,459 yards along with 14 touchdowns and adding 67 receptions for 564 yards and seven more scores.

Stefanski is now in rare air as a two-time Coach of the Year, as he is just the 13th coach in league history to achieve the feat. He and Forrest Gregg (1976) are the only coaches in Browns franchise history to earn Coach of the Year honors.