Thursday night in Las Vegas marked the NFL Honors ceremony in which the regular season awards were handed out and the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class was announced.
One of the tightest award races was for AP Coach of the Year, in which Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski narrowly beat out first-year Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans to capture his second AP Coach of the Year award, having also won in 2020.
Actor Justin Hartley, who has appeared in TV shows like “Smallville” and “This is Us” was tasked with announcing Stefanski as the winner and unfortunately, it didn’t go great.
"And the AP Coach of the Year presented by Verizon is…Steven Stefanski." pic.twitter.com/1gkcyJQWrp
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 9, 2024
“And the AP Coach of the Year presented by Verizon is…Steven Stefanski,” Hartley said before being corrected by YouTuber and 2023 NFL Fan of the Year Tom Grossi.
Stefanski and Ryans both received 165 points but Stefanski had 21 first-place votes and Ryans had 20, giving the Browns’ coach the narrow victory, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
The tightest of races: Kevin Stefanski and DeMeco Ryans each received 165 points in voting for AP NFL Coach of the Year, but Stefanski won with 21 first-place votes to Ryans’ 20.
Congrats, Steven.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 9, 2024
Stefanski guided the Browns to an 11-6 record despite having five different quarterbacks start at least one game and losing four-time Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb to a knee injury in Week 2.
While Ryans lost out to Stefanski in the award voting, the rookie head coach had the last laugh when his Texans drubbed Stefanski’s Browns, 45-14. in the AFC Wild Card Round.
[Tom Pelissero, Photo Credit: NFL Network]
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