With a division title, two postseason victories, and a trip to the NFC Championship Game, the Detroit Lions lived up to the high expectations that preceded the 2023 campaign.
From the beginning of the season until the end, Dan Campbell was one of the favorites to earn NFL Coach of the Year.
This year, there were several deserving contenders for Coach of the Year, with Campbell leading the pack. It seems like 2017 would have to be the year if he were to win it. To some extent, it will be now or never since the Lions have high expectations going ahead, and his chances of winning the award will inevitably suffer.
AP Coach of the Year
Stefanski wins with more 1st place votesKevin Stefanski 21-18-6 = 165
DeMeco Ryans 20-21-2 = 165
Dan Campbell 3-3-9 = 33
Kyle Shanahan 3-3-2 = 26
John Harbaugh 2-2-10 = 26
Sean McVay 1-2-10 = 21
Mike Tomlin 0-1-2 = 5
Shane Steichen…— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) February 9, 2024
In the Coach of the Year competition, Campbell came in third place behind Kevin Stefanski and DeMeco Ryans. Stefanski prevailed due to his one additional first-place vote. Ryans received 43 votes and Stefanski 45 out of 50 AP voters.
With three first-place votes, three second-place votes, and nine third-place votes, Campbell was only included on 15 ballots. The fact that Kyle Shanahan had eight ballot entries was the next-highest, indicating just how much Stefanski and Ryans outperformed the field.
That isn’t to say Stefanski and Ryans were not worthy candidates, and worthy of finishing where they did. Stefanski navigated the Browns having five different starting quarterbacks, while Ryans and the Texans sheerly defied expectations in his first season.
Expectations were high following the Lions’ 8-2 finish to the 2022 season, and Campbell and the Lions simply did not face the same obstacles that Stefanski and the Browns experienced this year.
Dan Campbell is never going to prevail. Coach of the Year in the NFL
It’s also important to keep in mind that these prizes are all regular-season honors. The Lions enjoyed their best regular season in thirty years even within such confines. And the only thing separating them from the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs was a heinous officiating error.
A lot of people are upset that Campbell did not earn Coach of the Year, using the “Detroit vs. Everybody” card that Lions supporters like to play anytime something goes wrong for their club.
As much as honors like these should matter in the grand scheme of things, the truth is this.
As long as he is the head coach of the Lions, Dan Campbell will never be the NFL Coach of the Year.
