Why Andy Reid Will Never Win Coach of Year Award

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Andy Reid is a coach, so he knew what he was coached to say following Friday’s preseason finale against the Bears.

President Mark Donovan already addressed the disturbing report of a midnight bullet piercing Reid’s office window at the Chiefs’ practice facility, missing the coach by as little as an offsides penalty.

And in his first availability since the Kansas City Star’s report of the 2024 gunfire, Reid stayed out of the neutral zone. Well, mostly.

“Yeah, listen, Mark addressed it,” Reid said Friday night. “I'll just leave it at that. I mean, I'm here, so it's all good. Mark covered it all. Move forward.”

He’s here. And he might now have bulletproof glass protecting his office as he works late hours, but that doesn’t mean he’s bulletproof. If he wasn’t already appreciated by every NFL stakeholder, the 67-year-old Chiefs head coach certainly was after the shooting.

Aug 22, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid on the sidelines against the Chicago Bears during the first half of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

No Coach of Year awards likely in his future

Still, that doesn’t mean he’s likely to ever win the NFL’s Coach of the Year.

While his record with the Chiefs is 100 games above .500 -- 161-61 – he’s never won that award and he’s not likely to ever win it. The honor generally goes to coaches who improve their clubs’ win totals from prior years, with less-than-spectacular personnel.

Judging from a recent ESPN list on watchability, which stunningly ranked the Chiefs in the cellar of the league, last year was Reid’s best shot at Coach of the Year.

Andy Reid appreciation post: Since he took over in 2013, the Chiefs have the most wins (143) in the NFL ... by 21. Nine straight division titles, 5 AFC titles, 3 Super Bowl titles ... 0 Coach of the Years. The average win total for NFL Coach of the Year is 12. Andy's average: 12.
— Mick Shaffer (@mickshaffer) August 22, 2025

In 2024, they won 15 of 16 regular-season games they were trying to win (they lost the meaningless season finale in Denver after resting their starters for the playoffs), and did it without their starting running back and two starting wide receivers – not to mention a season-long turnstile at left tackle.

He finished third in the Associated Press voting, behind Detroit’s Dan Campbell and the winner, Minnesota’s Kevin O’Connell.

Approaching the Eagles threshold

Reid’s already the only head coach a large portion of the Chiefs’ fan base can remember, and early next season he’s expected to equal the 243 games he coached in Philadelphia – at which point he’ll have coached more Chiefs games than Eagles.

And, let this marinate overnight in your refrigerator. Reid, who kicks off his 27th season as an NFL head coach on Sept. 5 in Brazil, owns a 301-163-1 record (.648). That’s 110 more wins than the next-closest active head coach, Mike Tomlin (191).

Halas, Belichick and Shula

Also early next season, Reid figures to surpass Hall of Famer George Halas for No. 3 on the all-time wins list. One of the NFL’s founding fathers, Halas was 324-151-31 (.682) in 40 years on the sideline of the Chicago Bears.

Reid over his first 26 years at the reins of the Eagles and Chiefs is a combined 301-163-1 (.648).

Andy Reid, Bill Belichic — Oct 14, 2018; Foxborough, MA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid meets New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick after the game at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots defeated Kansas City 43-40. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Next on the list – assuming he doesn’t return to the NFL – is current North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick, who was 333-178-0 (.652) in 29 combined seasons with the Browns and Patriots.

No. 1 is Don Shula, who finished a 33-year head-coaching career with an all-time mark of 347-173-6 (.666) with the Baltimore Colts and Miami Dolphins.

Reid might just have to settle for the Hall of Fame, and possibly covering all five fingers on one hand with Super Bowl rings.

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