Grizzled Bear: Chicago’s Head Coach Picked as NFL’s Best by AP

Despite low expectations, Matt Nagy has the Bears leading the NFL North at 9-4.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 02: Head Coach Matt Nagy of the Chicago Bears in action against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on December 02, 2018 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - DECEMBER 02: Head Coach Matt Nagy of the Chicago Bears in action against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on December 02, 2018 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images)
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How the season will end up for the Bears remains to be seen, but Chicago’s head coach is already getting some recognition for bringing the franchise out of hibernation.

In his first year on the job, Matt Nagy has the Bears leading the NFL North at 9-4 behind the arm of second-year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.

It’s an impressive start for the former Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator and one that has not gone unnoticed by a panel of 10 football writers for The Associated Press.

In voting released today, the AP named Nagy as the NFL’s best coach this season. Nagy received seven of the 10 first-place votes for his work.

″[Nagy’s] overseen a total turnaround of the Bears in just his first year as an NFL head coach, taking a team that hadn’t finished above .500 since 2012 and turning them into the best of the NFC North,” said AP writer Howard Fendrich. “He’s an offensive guru who learned from former boss Andy Reid, and Chicago’s play calling has been creative and fun – and overcome limitations at the QB spot to be good enough to let a superb defense lead the way.”

The panel voted Seattle’s Pete Carroll as the second-best coach in the NFL this season for the job he’s done leading the Seahawks to an 8-5 record.

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