Arians wins NFL Coach of Year

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WLFI) - Former Indianapolis Colts Offensive Coordinator/Interim Head Coach Bruce Arians was named Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year on Saturday.

In his first season as offensive coordinator with the Colts, Arians assumed interim head coaching duties in the middle of the season after Head Coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia during the team’s bye week in September. Taking an indefinite leave of absence, Pagano was forced to be away from the team for the following 12 weeks as he underwent treatment.

During that time, Arians led the Colts to nine victories and a playoff berth in Week 16 at Kansas City. The nine victories included four come-from-behind fourth quarter and overtime wins, including a thrilling 30-27 defeat of the Green Bay Packers in Pagano’s first game away from the team. In addition, the Colts posted a perfect 8-0 record in one-possession games during that span.

The Colts finished the season with an 11-5 record which was a nine-win improvement from the previous year and is tied for the third-largest one-year turnaround in NFL history. The Colts also became only the second team in NFL history to win 10-or-more games after losing 14-or-more the previous season.