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News | Minnesota Vikings – vikings.com

Kevin O'Connell Recognized as NFC Coach of Year by 101 Awards

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Continuing its 55-year tradition of celebrating the top achievements of each NFL season, The Committee of 101 revealed the 2024 recipients of the annual 101 Awards in an exclusive national announcement on NFL Network's Good Morning Football on Wednesday morning.

The lineup of award winners includes Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell as NFC Coach of the Year, Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid as AFC Coach of the Year, Ravens QB Lamar Jackson as AFC Offensive Player of the Year, Broncos CB Pat Surtain II as AFC Defensive Player of the Year, Eagles RB Saquon Barkley as NFC Offensive Player of the Year and Lions S Kerby Joseph as NFC Defensive Player of the Year.

The 101 Awards is the nation's longest running awards program dedicated exclusively to the National Football League. Founded in 1969 by Lamar Hunt and a group of Kansas City business leaders, the 101 Awards have saluted the most outstanding players and coaches in the AFC and NFC each full season since the AFL-NFL merger. Award winners are selected in nationwide balloting of 101 sportswriters and broadcasters who cover the NFL throughout the season.

The recognition for O'Connell occurred less than 24 hours after the team announced a contract extension after three seasons in which his teams have gone 34-17.

View photos of Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell from the 2022-24 season.

In his third campaign as head coach in Minnesota, O'Connell guided his team to a 14-3 record, marking the second-best win total in franchise history and his second season with 13 or more wins in his three years as head coach. His squad registered a nine-game winning streak from Weeks 9-17, tying for the fifth-longest win streak in franchise history. Widely known as one of the top offensive minds in the game, O'Connell became the first head coach since at least 1950 to win 14 or more games in a season with a quarterback who is in his first year with a team, helping lead QB Sam Darnold to a career season with more than 4,300 passing yards, 35 passing touchdowns and a 102.5 passer rating. This marks O'Connell's first 101 Coach of the Year Award.

In his 12th season at the helm of the Chiefs, Reid led his team to a franchise-best 15-2 record and clinched a 10th-straight trip to the NFL postseason as well as a ninth-consecutive AFC West title en route to the first seed in the AFC Playoffs in 2024. Reid helped steer the Chiefs to a 9-0 start, matching a franchise record win streak to start a season which has only been done two other times in franchise history (2003 and 2013), including once by Reid (2013). With 26 years of NFL head coaching experience, Reid has a 273-146-1 regular season record and is the only head coach in NFL history to be the winningest coach of two different franchises (Chiefs and Eagles). This is Reid's fourth time receiving this honor (2002 NFC, 2013 AFC, 2015 AFC and 2024 AFC), making him the winningest coach in the history of the 101 Awards.

Jackson captured his second-straight AFC Offensive Player of the Year 101 Award and the third of his career (2019, 2023, 2024) after setting multiple regular season career-highs, hitting new marks in passing yards (4,172), passing touchdowns (41) and yards per attempt (8.8). He tallied a 66.7 completion percentage and recorded a league-high 8.6 passing touchdown percentage en route to earning First-Team All-Pro honors from The Associated Press. Showing off his dual-threat ability, he rushed for 915 yards on 139 attempts (6.6 avg.) and four touchdowns, marking the third time he's rushed for 900+ yards in a single season, helping the Ravens secure an AFC North title and the third seed in the AFC Playoffs. Jackson cemented his name in NFL history in 2024 by bringing his career rushing total to 6,173 yards, surpassing former NFL QB Mike Vick for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in NFL history.

Surtain was named First-Team All-Pro by The Associated Press for the second time in his career and became just the third Denver Broncos defensive player to earn two First-Team All-Pro honors in his first four seasons in the league since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger. According to NextGen Stats, Surtain ranked first among NFL cornerbacks with at least 400 coverage snaps in yards allowed (306), target rate (10.9) and yards allowed per coverage snap (0.6). He tallied four interceptions on the season, tying his career high set during his rookie year in 2021. He recorded a career-best 132 interception return yards to rank first by all NFL cornerbacks in 2024, including a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown, helping the Broncos earn a Wild Card spot in the 2024 AFC Playoffs. It marks his first career 101 Award.

In his first year in Philadelphia, Barkley delivered a historic performance by becoming just the ninth player in NFL history to record 2,000 rushing yards in a single season, tallying 2,005 rushing yards to rank as the eighth-best single-season rushing performance in NFL annals. He added career highs with 13 rushing touchdowns and an average of 5.8 yards per carry in 2024, earning AP First-Team All-Pro honors for the first time in his career as well as his first 101 Award. Barkley eclipsed 100+ rushing yards in 11 games this season, helping drive Philadelphia to a 14-3 record, an NFC East championship and the second seed in the NFC Playoffs. Against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 12, Barkley accumulated 302 scrimmage yards (255 rushing and 47 receiving), setting a new Eagles single-game rushing record.

After leading the entire league with a career-high nine interceptions on the season, including one returned for a touchdown, Joseph earned First-Team All-Pro honors for the first time in his three-year NFL career, and he also earned his first 101 Defensive Player of the Year Award. Joseph was one of four Lions to receive First-Team All-Pro honors, and the four selections tie the 1991 Lions for the most in franchise history since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger. Joseph became the first Lions safety to log at least six interceptions and a pick-six in a single season since 1976, and he helped the Lions defense tie the Bills and Colts for the fifth-most team interceptions during the 2024 season (16). He added 82 total tackles and 12 passes defensed, helping propel the Lions to a franchise-high 15-2 record and secure the top seed in the NFC Playoffs.

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