The NFL Coach of the Year Award is presented annually by various news and sports organizations to the National Football League (NFL) head coach who has done the most outstanding job of working with the talent he has at his disposal. Currently, the most widely recognized award is presented by the Associated Press (AP), although in the past several awards received press recognition.[1][2][3] First presented in 1957, the AP award also gave out an award to coaches of the American Football League (AFL) from 1961 to 1969. The Sporting News has given a pro football coach of the year award since 1947 and in 1949 gave its award to a non-NFL coach, Paul Brown of the All-America Football Conference's Cleveland Browns. Other NFL Coach of the Year awards are presented by Pro Football Weekly/Pro Football Writers of America and the Maxwell Football Club. The United Press International (UPI) NFL Coach of the Year award was first presented in 1955. From 1960 to 1969, before the AFL–NFL merger, an award was also given to the most outstanding coach from the AFL. When the leagues merged in 1970, separate awards were given to the best coaches from the American Football Conference (AFC) and National Football Conference (NFC). The UPI discontinued the awards after 1996.
Coryell drew much praise from his peers this year by being named NFL Coach of the Year by the Associated Press, the Sporting News, United Press International and Pro Football Weekly.
He has been named AFL coach of the year in 1966 (Associated Press and Washington Touchdown Club), 1968 (AP, Unit Press, Washington Touchdown Club, Pro Football Weekly), and 1969 (Washington Touchdown Club). The Rockne Football Club, picking from both the AFL and NFL, named him pro football coach of the year in 1961 and 1966.
He was named coach of the year by the AP, UPI, Pro Football Weekly, the Pro Football Writers Association and the Touchdown Club of Washington, D.C., among others.