Six-Pack of NFL Coach of the Year Candidates Revealed

With the 2011 NFL regular season coming to a swift close with this weekend's Week 17 matchups, now is a perfect time to take a look at which head coaches truly are deserving of this season's annual Coach if the Year award.

Longtime readers of mine that follow my fun-filled, no-holds-barred Eye on Sports blog, know I always tell it like it is. Having said that, I've got a half-dozen guys that all have legitimate chances to win this year's NFL Coach of the Year Award. In order, here they are.

Jim Harbaugh - San Francisco 49ers
Harbaugh is my clear-cut winner, mostly because of how quickly he's changed the 49ers entire mindset in the front office and on both sides of the ball. Harbaugh truly has the Niners looking like a legitimate NFC and Super Bowl title contender in just his first season as an NFL head coach.

Ron Rivera - Carolina Panthers
For a rookie head coach to do what Rivera has done - with a rookie starter (okay, he is Cam Newton) tells me that Rivera was ready for this position years ago - when the old boy network of NFL owners kept passing him over. Clearly, Rivera is a special kind of head coach.

Marvin Lewis - Cincinnati Bengals
When Lewis decided to come back for what I thought was more punishment with the beleaguered Cincinnati Bengals franchise, I thought he was nuts. Now I see a franchise on the upswing, mostly because of Lewis' steady hand, not to mention the play of rookie quarterback Andy Dalton and fellow rookie, wide receiver A.J. Green.

Jim Schwartz - Detroit Lions
I know the Lions have a boatload of young talent right now after floundering for years, but the fact of the matter is that Jim Schwartz has been masterful in getting the Lions back in the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. Besides, he's coaching the Lions, so maybe Schwartz should get extra points or something.

Mike Munchak - Tennessee Titans
It's nice to see Munchak, an NFL lifer, succeeding after serving more than his fair share of time as an assistant to Jeff Fisher with the Titans. Of course, bringing in veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was a stroke of genius.

Mike McCarthy - Green Bay Packers
I know McCarthy has the best quarterback in the league in Aaron Rodgers, but I've got to admit that McCarthy's coaching skills are nearly unmatched at this point of his blossoming career. Clearly, McCarthy is a guy built for long-haul greatness.