INDIANAPOLIS • San Francisco’s Jim Harbaugh has won the 2011 Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year award for leading the 49ers back to the playoffs.
In his first season as an NFL coach, Harbaugh guided the 49ers to a 13-3 mark and the NFC West title and the conference championship game. They beat New Orleans in the first round of the playoffs before losing the conference title game to the Giants.
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NFL Coaches of the Year
2011 — Jim Harbaugh, San Francisco
2010 — Bill Belichick, New England
2009 — Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati
2008 — Mike Smith, Atlanta
2007 — Bill Belichick, New England
2006 — Sean Payton, New Orleans
2005 — Lovie Smith, Chicago
2004 — Marty Schottenheimer, San Diego
2003 — Bill Belichick, New England
2002 — Andy Reid, Philadelphia
2001 — Dick Jauron, Chicago
2000 — Jim Haslett, New Orleans
1999 — Dick Vermeil, St. Louis
1998 — Dan Reeves, Atlanta
1997 — Jim Fassel, New York Giants
1996 — Dom Capers, Carolina
1995 — Ray Rhodes, Philadelphia
1994 — Bill Parcells, New England
1993 — Dan Reeves, New York Giants
1992 — Bill Cowher, Pittsburgh
1991 — Wayne Fontes, Detroit
1990 — Jimmy Johnson, Dallas
1989 — Lindy Infante, Green Bay
1988 — Mike Ditka, Chicago
1987 — Jim Mora, New Orleans
1986 — Bill Parcells, New York Giants
1985 — Mike Ditka, Chicago
1984 — Chuck Knox, Seattle
1983 — Joe Gibbs, Washington
1982 — Joe Gibbs, Washington
1981 — Bill Walsh, San Francisco
1980 — Chuck Knox, Buffalo
1979 — Jack Pardee, Washington
1978 — Jack Patera, Seattle
1977 — Red Miller, Denver
1976 — Forrest Gregg, Cleveland
1975 — Ted Marchibroda, Baltimore
1974 — Don Coryell, St. Louis
1973 — Chuck Knox, Los Angeles
1972 — Don Shula, Miami
1971 — George Allen, Washington
1970 — Paul Brown, Cincinnati
1969 — Bud Grant, Minnesota
1968 — Don Shula, Baltimore
1967 — George Allen, Los Angeles and Don Shula, Baltimore
1966 — Tom Landry, Dallas
1965 — George Halas, Chicago
1964 — Don Shula, Baltimore
1963 — George Halas, Chicago
1962 — Allie Sherman, New York Giants
1961 — Allie Sherman, New York Giants
1960 — Buck Shaw, Philadelphia
1959 — Vince Lombardi, Green Bay
1958 — Weeb Ewbank, Baltimore
1957 — George Wilson, Detroit
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"I think it was an amazing season," Harbaugh said. "In a lot of ways, beyond description. Incredible"
A former NFL quarterback and successful coach at Stanford, Harbaugh earned 45 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL. He easily outdistanced Green Bay’s Mike McCarthy, who received three votes, and Denver’s John Fox, who got two.
"I’ve said so often how proud I was of this team. I thought they played their hearts out," Harbaugh said. "I thought we were a well-coached team. They stand toe-to-toe and fight every time they go out onto the field."
Harbaugh said his only regret about his rookie year in the NFL was how the season ended, in a 20-17 overtime loss to the New York Giants in the NFC title game.
"It didn’t have the ending that we wanted," he said. "The football gods had a different ending in mind."
Atlanta’s Mike Smith was the last man to win the award in his initial season as an NFL coach, in 2008.
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