Kevin Stefanski Deserves More Than Coach Of The Year
Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
“Facts do not convey truth. That’s a mistake. Facts create norms, but truth creates illumination. If you’re purely after facts, please buy yourself the phone directory of Manhattan. It has four million times correct facts. But it doesn’t illuminate.”
-Werner Herzog
One of the problems inherent with sports fans is our ability to cast aside facts in favor of hunches and gut feelings because it’s the easy thing to do. It is a futile escape from objective reality. When we decide we don’t like someone, we just don’t like them, and numbers and data cannot move the mountain of disdain we have towards that person. Instead, we would rather retreat to a distant hill and build a fortress of hot takes and decide that that is where we will choose to die. This isn’t exclusive to sports either; this is a common theme in our collective experience, but for some reason, it comes out even more delusional and ludicrous in sports.
Since winning the AP Coach Of The Year award in 2020, there has been a large contingent of Browns fans (myself included) who have been calling for Kevin Stefanski’s head on a pike, and we have made up every excuse to storm Berea and party like it’s January 6. Whether it was how he managed Baker Mayfield’s shoulder situation or his lack of willingness to hand over the play-calling duties to Alex Van Pelt, we have been mining for countless reasons to want this man gone. We’ve been doing this because the coach above all others is easiest to scapegoat. Unlike athletes, where you can dismiss bad stats by favoring others that confirm your bias, coaches are solely measured by a single statistic:
Wins and losses.
Wins matter. Losses matter even more, but just like any other statistic, it only paints a fraction of the canvas and provides a fragmented narrative. It is easy to look at 29 losses he’s had since he’s been in Cleveland and completely disregard his 37 wins because those losses are magnified due to the ways in which we’ve seen this team lose.
Stefanski is not immune to criticism. Acknowledging Stefanski’s imperfections is essential, but equally crucial is recognizing his capacity for growth and evolution. Each misstep, whether it be managing injuries or navigating quarterback changes, became a learning opportunity that we have seen Stefanski evolve with. His willingness to acknowledge these challenges and adapt his approach underscores his commitment to continuous improvement. It’s this ability to self-reflect and refine strategies that truly separates a good coach from a great one, and Stefanski appears to be embracing this journey towards excellence.
He’s made plenty of blunders in his time here, but it would be folly if after this year we didn’t take a step back and truly marvel at what an incredible Joe Gibbs-esque performance he’s given us this season when you consider the four quarterback changes he’s had to deal with ( Five, if you include this upcoming Sunday). He’s had injury after injury, and enough dropped passes to fill Kris Jenner’s cheeks, yet he has CEO’d this team in a way we have never seen and has not only clinched a playoff spot, but up until this past Sunday was still fighting for the number 1 seed in the AFC.
I was wrong. The contingent of Browns fans who said this guy can’t coach is wrong. The numbers augment the argument, but even if we cast the numbers aside, his season has defied the narrow confines of statistical evaluations. It’s not merely about the wins and losses but about the narrative that has unfolded before our very eyes each Sunday this season as Stefanski traversed the rugged terrain of this 2023 campaign. His ability to lead and adapt has been astonishing, and the numbers, while they augment the argument, pale in comparison to the intangible qualities that have revealed to the NFL why Kevin Stefanski is one of its finest coaches. He doesn’t just deserve Coach of The Year, he deserves our most sincere apologies.
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