Vikings’ Pat Shurmur Named NFL Assistant Coach of the Year by PFWA

Image courtesy of Vikings.com

Pat Shurmur, Offensive Coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings, was named 2017 NFL Assistant Coach of the Year by the Professional Football Writers of America Thursday.

Shurmur took over as Vikings offensive coordinator in 2017 after serving on an interim basis in 2016. He was recognized for orchestrating a Vikings offense that produced plenty of big plays throughout the season. His efforts helped lead the team to a 13-3 record and a No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs.

The Vikings offense ranked 11th in the NFL in total yards during the regular season. According to PFWA the Vikings had 68 plays of 20-plus yards (7th in the league), and 12 scoring drives of 80-plus yards, eight more than in 2016. The offense ranked 10th in scoring, averaging 23.9 points per game.

Shurmur’s guidance helped the Vikings offense overcome significant obstacles during the season. The Vikings lost starting quarterback Sam Bradford for all but two quarters after Week 1. The team then lost starting running back Dalvin Cook to a season-ending ACL injury in Week 4. Still, Shurmur found a way to get consistent production out of his players.

Not only did the Vikings offense produce without the starting quarterback and running back, the backups who replaced them thrived. Case Keenum excelled as an NFL quarterback for the first time in his career. The Vikings were 12-3 in games Keenum played. He threw for 3,547 yards with 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while completing 67.6% of his passes, the second-highest mark in the NFL. He also had the second-highest QBR in the NFL.

Wide receiver Adam Thielen was fifth in the league with 1,276 receiving yards and eighth in the NFL with 91 receptions. He caught four touchdowns while fellow receiver Stefon Diggs and tight end Kyle Rudolph led the team with eight touchdowns catches apiece.

Running backs Jerick McKinnon and Latavius Murray filled in for Cook and helped the team produce 1,957 rushing yards, seventh-most in the NFL. The team also ranked seventh with 15 touchdowns on the ground. The PFWA wrote Vikings RB group totaled 2,461 yards from scrimmage this season, the fourth-highest total among all RB groups in 2017. The team improved by over 700 rushing yards from 2016.

Of course none of this would be possible without the help of the Vikings revamped offense line. One of the standouts from the group, Vikings center Pat Elflein, was named to the PFWA 2017 All-Rookie Team on Tuesday.

According to the press release, Shurmur is the second Vikings assistant to win the PFWA award, established in 1993, joining Brian Billick (1998).

“It’s an unbelievable honor. I’m happy for Pat,” Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said at Thursday’s press conference. “Pat has done an outstanding job. In my opinion he deserves the assistant coach of the year. I think it’s great. He’s done outstanding with getting the players, mixing them in, using them in the right place. [He’s] done a good job of molding everything together. He’s a good guy. We’ve worked well together and I think he works well with the rest of the staff.”

The NFL Network has reported that Shurmur is expected to become the next head coach of the New York Giants after the conclusion of the Vikings season.

The history of the awards via the PFWA website.

2017 COACH OF THE YEAR: Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams

2017 EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR: Howie Roseman, Philadelphia Eagles

2017 ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR: Pat Shurmur, Minnesota Vikings

PFWA NFL COACH OF THE YEAR: 1966 – Tom Landry, Dallas Cowboys; 1967 AFL – John Rauch, Oakland Raiders; 1967 NFL – Vince Lombardi, Green Bay Packers; 1968 AFL – Weeb Eubank, New York Jets; 1968 NFL – Don Shula, Baltimore Colts; 1969 AFL – John Madden, Oakland Raiders; 1969 NFL – Bud Grant, Minnesota Vikings; 1970 AFC – Paul Brown, Cincinnati Bengals; 1970 NFC – Dick Nolan, San Francisco 49ers; 1971 AFC – Don Shula, Miami Dolphins; 1971 NFC – George Allen, Washington Redskins; 1972 AFC – Don Shula, Miami Dolphins; 1972 NFC – Dan Devine, Green Bay Packers; 1973 AFC – John Ralston, Denver Broncos; 1973 NFC – Chuck Knox, Los Angeles Rams; 1974 AFC – Sid Gilman, Houston Oilers; 1974 NFC – Don Coryell, St. Louis Cardinals; 1975 AFC – Ted Marchibroda, Baltimore Colts; 1975 NFC – Tom Landry, Dallas Cowboys; 1976 AFC – Chuck Fairbanks, New England Patriots; 1976 NFC – Jack Pardee, Chicago Bears; 1977 AFC – Red Miller, Denver Broncos; 1977 NFC – Leeman Bennett, Atlanta Falcons; 1978 AFC – Walt Michaels, New York Jets; 1978 NFC – Dick Vermeil, Philadelphia Eagles; 1979 AFC – Don Coryell, San Diego Chargers; 1979 NFC – Dick Vermeil, Philadelphia Eagles; 1980 AFC – Chuck Knox, Buffalo Bills; 1980 NFC – Leeman Bennett, Atlanta Falcons; 1981 AFC – Forrest Gregg, Cincinnati Bengals; 1981 NFC – Bill Walsh, San Francisco 49ers; 1982 AFC – Tom Flores, Los Angeles Raiders; 1982 NFC – Joe Gibbs, Washington Redskins; 1983 AFC – Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh Steelers; 1983 NFC – Joe Gibbs, Washington Redskins; 1984 AFC – Chuck Knox, Seattle Seahawks; 1984 NFC – Bill Walsh, San Francisco 49ers; 1985 AFC – Raymond Berry, New England Patriots; 1985 NFC – Mike Ditka, Chicago Bears; 1986 AFC – Marty Schottenheimer, Cleveland Browns; 1986 NFC – Bill Parcells, New York Giants; 1987 AFC – Ron Meyer, New England Patriots; 1987 NFC – Jim Mora, New Orleans Saints; 1988 AFC – Sam Wyche, Cincinnati Bengals; 1988 NFC – Mike Ditka, Chicago Bears; 1989 AFC – Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh Steelers; 1989 NFC – Lindy Infante, Green Bay Packers; 1990 – Art Shell, Los Angeles Raiders; 1991 – Wayne Fontes, Detroit Lions; 1992 – Bobby Ross, San Diego Chargers; 1993 – Dan Reeves, New York Giants; 1994 – Bill Parcells, New England Patriots; 1995 – Dom Capers, Carolina Panthers; 1996 – Dom Capers, Carolina Panthers; 1997 – Jim Fassel, New York Giants; 1998 – Dan Reeves, Atlanta Falcons; 1999 – Dick Vermeil, St. Louis Rams; 2000 – Jim Haslett, New Orleans Saints; 2001 – Dick Jauron, Chicago Bears; 2002 – Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles; 2003 – Bill Belichick, New England Patriots; 2004 – Marty Schottenheimer, San Diego Chargers; 2005 – Lovie Smith, Chicago Bears; 2006 – Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints; 2007 – Bill Belichick, New England Patriots; 2008 – Tony Sparano, Miami Dolphins; 2009 – Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals; 2010 – Bill Belichick, New England Patriots; 2011 – Jim Harbaugh, San Francisco 49ers; 2012 – Bruce Arians, Indianapolis Colts; 2013 – Ron Rivera, Carolina Panthers; 2014 – Bruce Arians, Arizona Cardinals; 2015 – Ron Rivera, Carolina Panthers; 2016 – Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys; 2017 – Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams

PFWA EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR: 1993 – George Young, New York Giants; 1994 – Carmen Policy, San Francisco 49ers; 1995 – Bill Polian, Carolina Panthers; 1996 – Bill Polian, Carolina Panthers; 1997 – George Young, New York Giants; 1998 – Front Office, Minnesota Vikings; 1999 – Bill Polian, Indianapolis Colts; 2000 – Randy Mueller, New Orleans Saints; 2001 – Charley Armey, St. Louis Rams; 2002 – Al Davis, Oakland Raiders; 2003 – Scott Pioli, New England Patriots; 2004 – A.J. Smith, San Diego Chargers; 2005 – Bill Polian, Indianapolis Colts; 2006 – Mickey Loomis, New Orleans Saints; 2007 – Scott Pioli, New England Patriots; 2008 – Bill Parcells, Miami Dolphins; 2009 – Bill Polian, Indianapolis Colts; 2010 – Scott Pioli, Kansas City Chiefs; 2011 – Trent Baalke, San Francisco 49ers; 2012 – Ryan Grigson, Indianapolis Colts; 2013 – John Dorsey, Kansas City Chiefs; 2014 – Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys; 2015 – Mike Maccagnan, New York Jets; 2016 – Reggie McKenzie, Oakland Raiders; 2017 – Howie Roseman, Philadelphia Eagles

PFWA ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR: 1993 – Ray Rhodes, Green Bay Packers; 1994 – Dom Capers, Pittsburgh Steelers; 1995 – Pete Carroll, San Francisco 49ers; 1996 – Dave Campo, Dallas Cowboys; 1997 – John Fox, New York Giants; 1998 – Brian Billick, Minnesota Vikings; 1999 – Dom Capers, Jacksonville Jaguars; 2000 – Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati Bengals; 2001 – Mike Mularkey, Pittsburgh Steelers; 2002 – Monte Kiffin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 2003 – Romeo Crennel, New England Patriots; 2004 – Dick LeBeau, Pittsburgh Steelers; 2005 – Ron Rivera, Chicago Bears; 2006 – Rex Ryan, Baltimore Ravens; 2007 – Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys; 2008 – Dick LeBeau, Pittsburgh Steelers; 2009 – Mike Zimmer, Cincinnati Bengals; 2010 – Marty Mornhinweg, Philadelphia Eagles; 2011 – Wade Phillips, Houston Texans; 2012 – Bruce Arians, Indianapolis Colts; 2013 – Ken Whisenhunt, San Diego Chargers; 2014 – Todd Bowles, Arizona Cardinals; 2015 – (tie) Hue Jackson, Cincinnati Bengals and Wade Phillips, Denver Broncos; 2016 – Kyle Shanahan, Atlanta Falcons; 2017– Pat Shurmur, Minnesota Vikings

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