Why was Doug Pederson named AFC coach of the year?

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson was announced as this year's winner of the AFC Head Coach of the Year award on January 25th. 

The title was bestowed on Pederson by 101 Awards, a group made up of one hundred and one national media outlets that vote on awards in both NFL conferences according to Yard Barker's Alex Sabri. 

Pederson performed well this year, yet didn't make it past the AFC divisional finals. So what separated him from the other fifteen talented coaches in the American Football Conference?

“Considering what he had to work with,” Sabri wrote in a January 25th article breaking down 101 Awards' decision, “this seems like the obvious choice.”

“The Jaguars went 9-8 after finishing with the NFL's worst record two years in a row,” before Pederson arrived according to Sabri.

One of the biggest improvements under Pederson’s leadership was the transformation of Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. 

Lawrence was selected as the Jaguarers first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft but didn’t have a particularly stand-out rookie year. 

In his first full season, Lawrence threw twelve touchdowns but seventeen interceptions. Under Pederson, the Jaguar QB threw twenty-five touchdowns and only eight interceptions according to Sabri, who pulled his info from Pro Football Reference. 

“The former Philadelphia Eagles coach took a Jaguars team that went 15-50 in its last four seasons to the playoff,” Sabri noted, an achievement that probably won him the Head Coach of the Year award. 

“Other head coaches earned more wins and went further in the NFL playoffs,” Sabri added, “but didn't pull off a miracle turnaround this season as Pederson did.”

“He brought some stability back to a franchise that went 23-43 under Doug Marrone, 14-48 under Gus Bradley, and 2-11 in the infamous Urban Meyer season," Sabri concluded. 

Sabri isn’t alone in his glowing opinion of Pederson’s coaching this year, Florida-Times Union sportswriter Juston Lewis believes the team’s turnaround this season would not have been possible without their new head guidance. 

“He helped guide the Jaguars to the postseason despite the team falling on a five-game slide through the month of October,” Lewis wrote. 

“Players and coaches alike have credited Pederson’s personality and steadiness for the turnaround in Jacksonville this season,” Lewis added. 

Unfortunately, the Jaguars lost their spot in the AFC Championship game to the Kansas City Chiefs, which means we won’t be seeing Pederson and Jacksonville in the Superbowl this year. 

Pederson was one of only two Jaguar coaches to ever win the AFC Head Coach of the Award, Doug Marrone earned his award for his impressive 2017 season with Jacksonville.