Falcons' Mike Smith Named Sporting News Coach of the Year

January 28,2013

The Atlanta Falcons today announced that Head Coach Mike Smith has been named NFL Coach of the Year by Sporting News for the third time.

Last year, Smith led the Falcons to an NFC-best 13-3 record and the club’s first NFC Championship Game appearance in 14 years. This season, Smith guided the Falcons to their first playoff win since 2004 and became the first head coach in team history to post five straight winning seasons. Smith is one of just three active coaches to win the award multiple times and he joins coaching greats Paul Brown, Chuck Knox and Joe Gibbs as the only NFL coaches to be honored three times (2008, 2010 & 2012). Only Don Shula has earned the honor more with four wins.

During his tenure in Atlanta, the Falcons have compiled a 56-24 (.700) regular season record with five straight winning seasons, three straight playoff berths, and two division titles. Smith’s 56 wins in his first five seasons as a head coach are the second-most by a first-time head coach in NFL history. Atlanta’s .700 winning percentage since 2008 is the second-best mark in the NFL during that span and the Falcons are the only NFC team to post winning records in each of the last five seasons.

-Courtesy, Atlanta Business Chronicle