Edit: AP names Nagy coach of year (unconfirmed)

[IotaNet]

Can't believe this hasn't been posted already ..

"Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy was voted AP NFL Coach of the Year on Friday, becoming the first Bears’ head coach to do it in 13 seasons. The last time Chicago Bears fans were as unified behind a head coach as they are behind Matt Nagy was 2012, the year Lovie Smith was fired after a 10-6. Not that everyone liked Lovie, but at least somebody did. That was also the last time the Bears finished a season above .500, which they will finally do again this year ..."

Source: https://dawindycity.com/2018/12/15/chic ... matt-nagy/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[UOK]

A panel of 10 AP writers voted on which head coach was doing the best job in 2018, and Nagy received 7 of the 10 first place votes. The actual award will be revealed in February at the NFL Honors show. Seattle’s Pete Carroll was second in this mini-poll for having the 8-5 Seahawks in prime position for a wildcard spot in the NFC.

If coach Nagy does win the real award, he’ll be the first Chicago Bears head coach since Lovie Smith in 2005 to be named for this honor. Nagy would also be the fifth coach in franchise history to win

https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2018/ ... smith-2018" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

----

Essentially this isn't the official award. They'll give that out in several weeks.

[IotaNet]

Thanks for helping me out on that. It seemed a little early and a little squishy.

Somebody ought to tell Wikipedia, tho:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_ ... f_the_Year" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Moriarty]

If coach Nagy does win the real award, he’ll be the first Chicago Bears head coach since Lovie Smith in 2005 to be named for this honor.

Wow.
Way to delegitimize the award.

[UOK]

If coach Nagy does win the real award, he’ll be the first Chicago Bears head coach since Lovie Smith in 2005 to be named for this honor.

Wow.
Way to delegitimize the award.

Other Bears COTY winners:

George Halas (‘63, ‘65)
Mike Ditka (‘85, ‘88)
Dick Jauron (‘01)
Lovie Smith (‘05)


So yeah, it's a mixed bag, but Halas/Ditka is nice. Lovie was a solid coach-ish. Jauron, well, he was a nice man.

[IotaNet]

If coach Nagy does win the real award, he’ll be the first Chicago Bears head coach since Lovie Smith in 2005 to be named for this honor.

Wow.
Way to delegitimize the award.

I totally disagree with that sentiment. Lovie might not have had the most warm & fuzzy personality and he might not have been been an offensive wizard but he was one helluva leader of men and was highly respected as such. His players would run through a wall for him and did on many occasions.

One of the reasons for the dumpster fire the bears descended into over the past few years was how poorly the Bears ownership managed the transition away from Lovie. IIRC, he got fired the year he went 10-6. I don't deny that it was time for a change when he left but some of the Lovie hate around here is undeserved IMO.

[wab]

Lovie was a really good leader and coach. He was a terrible at personnel evaluation and team management. When the Bears extended him and he had a bunch of FO control written into his contract, the Bears went south. He didn't bring Chico back because of it and it's no coincidence that the Bears suddenly good drafting went south as he started pulling for draft picks like Dan Bazuin, Michael Okwo, and Jarron Gilbert and FA's like Adam Archuletta, and thinking Hester could be a #1 WR... oh and trading Olsen.

All Lovie endorsed moves. As much grief as Angelo gets, he was pretty much neutered by Lovie after the SB run.

[Otis Day]

I can still hear OB yelling, "DICK JAURON!!"

Dick Jauron before Jauron dicks you.

[EricTighe]

That award should be a no-brainer.

[Mikefive]

Lovie was a really good leader and coach. He was a terrible at personnel evaluation and team management. When the Bears extended him and he had a bunch of FO control written into his contract, the Bears went south. He didn't bring Chico back because of it and it's no coincidence that the Bears suddenly good drafting went south as he started pulling for draft picks like Dan Bazuin, Michael Okwo, and Jarron Gilbert and FA's like Adam Archuletta, and thinking Hester could be a #1 WR... oh and trading Olsen.

All Lovie endorsed moves. As much grief as Angelo gets, he was pretty much neutered by Lovie after the SB run.

I agree with all of this except the the first sentence, which I'd change to... Lovie was a really good leader and coach of the defense. But when it came to offense, he was a zero. Now you could argue that that equates him to Matt Nagy who we have no indication if he adds anything to the defense. But there are strategic aspects that are more offense oriented and Lovie was notoriously poor at time management. So Nagy gets the nod there.

I did think Lovie was a genuinely good person tho.

[IotaNet]

Lovie was a really good leader and coach. He was a terrible at personnel evaluation and team management. When the Bears extended him and he had a bunch of FO control written into his contract, the Bears went south. He didn't bring Chico back because of it and it's no coincidence that the Bears suddenly good drafting went south as he started pulling for draft picks like Dan Bazuin, Michael Okwo, and Jarron Gilbert and FA's like Adam Archuletta, and thinking Hester could be a #1 WR... oh and trading Olsen.

All Lovie endorsed moves. As much grief as Angelo gets, he was pretty much neutered by Lovie after the SB run.

I agree with all of this except the the first sentence, which I'd change to... Lovie was a really good leader and coach of the defense. But when it came to offense, he was a zero. Now you could argue that that equates him to Matt Nagy who we have no indication if he adds anything to the defense. But there are strategic aspects that are more offense oriented and Lovie was notoriously poor at time management. So Nagy gets the nod there.

I did think Lovie was a genuinely good person tho.

Not to be a Lovie apologist but our perspectives are skewed by our historical view of the Bears and to a lesser extent, the way the NFL used to be.

10-20 years ago, it was all about finding a Defensive-oriented HC and then getting an "offensive guru" (Don Coryell? Sam Wyche? Norv Turner) to handle that side of the ball. Now the script has been flipped and offensive football is the order of the day .. and that's all from the team level to the way the game officiated. A guy like Lovie would be out of place as a HC today.

[docc]

Lovie was good..but the Bears got off the bus running under it.. No imagination on O..and absurd O coordinators..

Seemed odd to can him after 10-6..but a culture change was needed..just not the one that we got..THEN..

Nagy is such a breath of fresh air...
Didn't ever say..it will take time..or promise anything he hasn't delivered X 1,000..
He Is The Man..

[The Marshall Plan]

Can't believe this hasn't been posted already ..

"Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy was voted AP NFL Coach of the Year on Friday, becoming the first Bears’ head coach to do it in 13 seasons. The last time Chicago Bears fans were as unified behind a head coach as they are behind Matt Nagy was 2012, the year Lovie Smith was fired after a 10-6. Not that everyone liked Lovie, but at least somebody did. That was also the last time the Bears finished a season above .500, which they will finally do again this year ..."

Source: https://dawindycity.com/2018/12/15/chic ... matt-nagy/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Obviously Nagy has done an amazing job, but Pace really needs to win Executive Of The Year too. Pace went out there and got a bunch of guys to make this team better. The Mack trade gets all the headlines, but Pace redid pretty much the entire WR group, our 2018 draft has been outstanding thus far and his previous picks like Jackson and Cohen really have paid off.

[Richie]

That award should be a no-brainer.

Yeah

Anthony Lynn has done a great job with the Chargers. However, it always seems to be the quick turnaround 1st or 2nd year HC that wins this award.

Nagy has earned it.

[malk]

I'm up there with the most critical of Pace (like Nagy's high expectations, it comes from a place of love, honest!) but Pace should be a no brainer here.

[jamus34]

Lovie was a good person, a great defense coach and knew nothing about offense.

Which hurt him because he felt the need to hire / elevate guys who had worked in and through his system rather than hire guys who would compliment his weaknesses and make the team better overall.

[UOK]

Interesting bit from John Fox in an interview w/ the Athletic:

DP: How have you figured out how to do the job and be good at analyzing?

Fox: I don’t know that I’ve got (my broadcasting personality) figured out. I think I’m scratching the surface. During the years when I coached, I learned how to talk and not say anything. You learn to be very guarded in your comments for fear of something going viral. You have to protect people and you are doing everything you can to not be you. Now, you get to be you.

Talk about a stark difference from Nagy, who literally uses "Be You" as a mantra.

[Otis Day]

John Fox mantra:

"Be someone else."

[IotaNet]

...Talk about a stark difference from Nagy, who literally uses "Be You" as a mantra.

John Fox mantra:

"Be someone else."

In fairness to Fox, today is a totally different NFL and different sports culture in general. Fox is a product of the era he came up in -- with people like Belicheck, Parcells, Landry who were all about tight-lipped nonspeak and old-school macho AND who had a paternalistic relationship with players.

Nowadays, you have guys like McVay and Nagy who are young and far closer to their player's ages and its all about "keeping it real." I have no problem with the new-school approach but its not entirely fair to Fox to evaluate these comments through a 2018 lens.

[Richie]

...Talk about a stark difference from Nagy, who literally uses "Be You" as a mantra.

John Fox mantra:

"Be someone else."

In fairness to Fox, today is a totally different NFL and different sports culture in general. Fox is a product of the era he came up in -- with people like Belicheck, Parcells, Landry who were all about tight-lipped nonspeak and old-school macho AND who had a paternalistic relationship with players.

Nowadays, you have guys like McVay and Nagy who are young and far closer to their player's ages and its all about "keeping it real." I have no problem with the new-school approach but its not entirely fair to Fox to evaluate these comments through a 2018 lens.

Correct.

Players also had different mentalities and an understanding with that kind of a philosophy. That's just the way it was.

The generation of teens and 20 somethings coming up now were raised with different values from those who came up through the draft in the late 90's and early 00's. Nagy/McVay are young enough to understand and embrace that. The game and its youth passed John Fox by.

I was actually a big John Fox fan in Carolina and even somewhat into his Denver stint. I respect John Fox. He had a very successful career and is NOT in the least to be used as a punchline.