Just in time for deserved, leverage on a new contract, Carolina’s Ron Rivera, who led the Panthers to a 12-4 record and the NFC South title, is the 2013 Coach of the Year based on voting by the Professional Football Writers of America.
Kansas City general manager John Dorsey, who made strategic moves to mold the Chiefs into a playoff team in his first season at the helm, is the 2013 Executive of the Year.
And former San Diego offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, now head coach in Tennessee after helping rejuvenate the career of quarterback Philip Rivers, is the 2013 Assistant Coach of the Year.
Rivera is heading into the final season of his four-year contract with the Panthers, who probably want to avoid a lame-duck coach if they recall that situation under then-coach John Fox in 2010, a 2-14 record.
Rivera isn’t alone in the contract line in Carolina, where 21 players are scheduled for free agency.
The Panthers won 11 of their final 12 games before losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the playoffs. That includes eight straight at one point.
Rivera is the first Panthers head coach to earn the PFWA’s Coach of the Year award since Dom Capers took it in back-to-back years in 1995-96.
The Chiefs were tied for the worst record in the league in 2012 before Dorsey made several, key personnel moves on all levels. His trade for quarterback Alex Smith helped to stabilize the offense. He also drafted tackle Eric Fisher with the No. 1 overall pick, who started 13 games. He also made several low-profile free-agent moves that helped the Chiefs race out to a 9-0 start on the way to an 11-5 record and an AFC playoff berth for the first time since 2010. The nine-game turnaround was the greatest one-season turnaround in club history.
In the front office, Dorsey hired Chris Ballard as the Chiefs’ director of player personnel, Will Lewis as director of pro scouting and Marvin Allen as director of college scouting.
Dorsey is the second Chiefs staffer to earn the PFWA’s Executive of the Year award, which began in 1993. Scott Pioli won the 2010 award.
In his first season in San Diego, Whisenhunt worked with Rivers and quarterback coach Frank Reich, and blended the talents of running back Ryan Mathews and rookie wide receiver Keenan Allen – who won the PFWA’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award — behind an already stout offensive line to help first-year head coach Mike McCoy guide the Chargers to the playoffs for the first time since 2009.
Whisenhunt’s offensive unit finished fifth in the NFL in yards per game at 393.3 and fourth in passing yards per game at 270.5. The former Arizona Cardinals head coach from 2007-12 was hired as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans on January 13.
Whisenhunt is the first Chargers assistant to receive the PFWA’s Assistant Coach of the Year award, which began in 1993.
–Material from the PFWA was used in this article. The Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA) is the official voice of pro football writers, promoting and fighting for access to NFL personnel to best serve the public. The PFWA is made up of accredited writers who cover the NFL and the 32 teams on a daily basis.