Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen wasn’t among the finalists for the 2024 AP Coach of the Year award, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t recognized for his efforts.
Even though the Colts fell short of the playoffs in a nail-biting defeat against the Houston Texans in Week 18, the fact that they were even in a situation to enter the playoffs during the finale is a testament to how quickly Steichen won over the locker room.
The award eventually went to Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, who won a tiebreaker with Houston Texans head coach Ryan DeMeco because he had more first-place votes.
As for Steichen, he received four third-place votes despite not being on the list of finalists.
AP Coach of the Year
Stefanski wins with more 1st place votesKevin Stefanski 21-18-6 = 165
DeMeco Ryans 20-21-2 = 165
Dan Campbell 3-3-9 = 33
Kyle Shanahan 3-3-2 = 26
John Harbaugh 2-2-10 = 26
Sean McVay 1-2-10 = 21
Mike Tomlin 0-1-2 = 5
Shane Steichen…— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) February 9, 2024
It won’t be a surprise if Steichen is much higher on this list next season. The potential of getting a full season out of Anthony Richardson could easily put the Colts in the conversation for a playoff spot.
Steichen proved he can handle the extreme ups and downs of an NFL season, and he should only continue to grow with a full season now under his belt.
