Chiefs Coach Todd Haley Could Win Coach Of The Year Tonight

The Kansas City Chiefs have not been doing so well in the AP awards this week but their coach could break the streak this evening.

A panel of 50 Associated Press voters annually give out a few awards and thus far this week they have named Toy Polamalu the Defensive Player of the Year and Tom Brady the Offensive Player of the Year. No Chiefs players received any votes in the latter two awards despite having strong candidates in Tamba Hali and Jamaal Charles.

Tonight, however, the AP will announce their Coach of the Year award and you have to believe Todd Haley is one of the leading candidates. Haley led the Chiefs to a 10-6 record and their first AFC West title since 2003. This feat is especially remarkable considering the team had only won 10 games in the last 3 years.

Haley’s leading competition is considered to be Andy Reid of the Eagles, Steve Spagnolo of the Rams, Bill Bellichick of the Patriots, Mike Smith of the Falcons, Mike Tomlin of the Steelers and Raheem Morris of the Bucs.

In my opinion Bellichick, Tomlin and Smith should not be in the running for the award. Their teams were expected to do well this year and have been contenders for the last few years. I mean, with all due respect to Tomlin, a block of tofu could coach the Steelers and they would still win. Bellichick is just doing what he has been doing for a decade and he has one of the best QB’s in the league so the Patriots going 14-2 and being a one and done is no cause for recognition.

Andy Reid should never get any award. Why should he be Coach of the Year? Because he declared Kevin Kolb the starter and Kolb played like crap and got hurt and then Mike Vick came in and played awesome so he let him keep playing?  People are crediting Reid with “having the guts” to go with Vick. Please. All Reed did was not screw it up. The block of tofu would have done the same thing.

Spagnolo did a nice job in St. Louis but he isn’t as deserving as Haley or Morris for Coach of the Year. The Rams were playing in a terrible division and couldn’t close the deal. If they had won things and made the playoffs I would think Spags would be a strong candidate but they didn’t so he isn’t.

That brings us to Morris. Morris deserves Coach of the Year almost as much as Haley. He really turned Tampa Bay around. His only knock is that they didn’t make the playoffs but if the Chiefs played in the AFC South, they wouldn’t have made the playoffs either.

I really think it will come down to Morris and Haley. While I think Haley should get the nod for getting the Chiefs to the playoffs, I could see Morris squeaking out a victory if they folks voting don’t like Haley’s sometimes abrasive personality.

At any rate, we’ll find out tonight. What say ye Addicts? Who do you think is deserving of Coach of the Year?