LAS VEGAS — After going 11-6 in the regular season and making it into the playoffs during a season riddled with injuries, head coach Kevin Stefanski has been acknowledged for his efforts this season and named the 2023 Coach of the Year during the NFL Honors ceremony.
Stefanski, who won the award his first season as the Browns head coach back in 2020, has earned the honor for the second time in four seasons Thursday night.
The Browns head coach was previously named a finalist, up against Lions' Dan Campbell, Ravens' John Harbaugh, Texans' DeMeco Ryans and 49ers' Kyle Shanahan.
Somehow, Stefanski managed to pull his team through a season that presented challenge after challenge. Stefanski's Browns saw the loss of running back Nick Chubb, offensive linemen Jack Conklin, Dawand Jones and Jedrick Wills Jr. and quarterback Deshaun Watson for the season. The team also dealt with losing kicker Dustin Hopkins, safeties Grant Delpit and Juan Thornhill, linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. and defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo for extended amounts of time this season.
Still, Stefanski was able to become just the second coach In franchise history to have 11 or more wins in two different seasons. Stefasnki became the first coach since Marty Schottenheimer to make it to multiple playoffs and surpassed Bill Belichick (36) as having the fifth most total wins in franchise history with 37.
Stefanski joins 11 other coaches to have won the Coach of the Year Award two or more times. Of those 11, five have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and eight have won Super Bowls or Championships in their coaching tenure—all 11 had or have gone on to coach in the biggest game of the year. That is a stat Browns fans have to like seeing now that Stefanski joins their ranks.
