Brian Flores not being the Coach of the Year was not a slight

The Miami Dolphins head coach, Brian Flores, was not named the league’s Coach of the Year and while we wish we could cheer him on, he wasn’t really going to be the choice.

Flores took the Miami Dolphins to a 10-6 record but he needed one more win for the playoffs. The Cleveland Browns turned around a flailing franchise and led them into the divisional round. Kevin Stefanski, the team’s first-year head coach, took home the award.

Brian Flores did not garner a lot of votes and Stefanski ran away with the voting. Stefanski earned 25 of the votes to win the award. In 2nd, Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott who led his team to the AFC Championship game earned seven votes. Brian Flores? He earned six votes for the league’s top coaching award.

Flores’ second year was a huge success considering where the team was a year before but in a pivotal week 17 game with the playoffs on the line, the Dolphins were blown out by McDermott’s Bills and were eliminated from the playoffs. Post-season appearances are not supposed to matter but while Flores did well in year two, Stefanski leading the hapless Browns out of the pits of the AFC North was hard to deny.

Flores doesn’t need that type of accolade. His idea of success is winning on the football field. The last time that a Dolphins head coach was a serious contender for the award was way back in 2008 when Tony Sparano lost out to Mike Smith of the Falcons.

The Miami Dolphins and their fans can take comfort in knowing that Flores has larger priorities on his plate and while we wish we could have seen him on top, he had solid competition in a season that came up one game short of the post-season.