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Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians was placed in a difficult situation to start the 2012 season. The man who hired him, Chuck Pagano, was diagnosed with cancer, putting his season on hold. Arians was forced to step in and lead the team and that's exactly what he did, taking the Colts to the playoffs.
For that, SB Nation's NFL bloggers have named Arians the Coach of the Year.
The team Arians took over wasn't even his own, and he didn't enter the offseason knowing he'd be the coach. But he has helped groom Andrew Luck into a solid quarterback in year one and pushed the Colts to the postseason.
Others, like Pete Carroll, deserve credit, but Arians' work is the most impressive of them all.
Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
The results: Bruce Arians (11), Pete Carroll (5), Jim Harbaugh (2), Gary Kubiak (2), John Fox (2), Leslie Frazier (2), Mike Shanahan (1), Mike Smith (1)
Preseason pick: Seahawks coach Pete Carroll
Dawgs By Nature: Someone deserves credit for the Seahawks being dominant at home, scoring 50+ points in two straight games, and on the verge of a playoff berth with a third-round quarterback. The credit goes to Pete Carroll for coach of the year.
Buffalo Rumblings: I'm so glad that the plucky Colts are such a ridiculously awesome story behind their interim head coach, Bruce Arians. Because seriously, if that story didn't exist, this award would go to Pete Carroll.
Bolts From The Blue: I really hate that I picked John Fox for Coach of the Year.
Niners Nation: How can Bruce Arians not be the pick at this point given all that has gone on?
Bleeding Green Nation: This guy wasn't even supposed to be the head coach, but Chuck Pagano's cancer thrust him into that role and all he's done is guide the worst team in the NFL last year to playoff spot this season.
Behind The Steel Curtain: Redskins coach Mike Shanahan deserves a top three finish for Coach of the Year. With all due respect to Chuck Pagano, Arians has been the coach this year, the award should not be shared.
Bucs Nation: Pete Carroll may like to run up the score, run around like a school girl and act like he's on acid all the time, but he's managed to build one hell of a team in Seattle by bucking established NFL wisdom. Huge, stiff cornerbacks? Tiny third-round quarterbacks? Gigantic, redhaired punters? No problem!
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