Bears coach Matt Nagy wins Associated Press 2018 NFL Coach of the Year in 1st Bears season

CHICAGO — In his first season as Chicago Bears coach, Matt Nagy has won the league’s top honor for his profession.

Nagy is The Associated Press 2018 NFL Coach of the Year. For taking the perennial also-ran Bears to a 12-4 record and the NFC North championship, Nagy earned 24 votes from a nationwide panel of media members who regularly cover the league. That was well ahead of the Chargers’ Anthony Lynn, who got 10 votes in balloting announced at NFL Honors.

Nagy has overseen the development of quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, who blossomed in his second pro season, and saw a defense befitting the “Monsters of the Midway” dominate opponents at times. He is the fifth Bears coach to win the award, joining team founder George Halas (1963, 1965), Mike Ditka (1985, 1988), Dick Jauron (2001) and Lovie Smith (2005).

In a year when many coaches did exceptional work, four others also received votes. The Colts’ Frank Reich got eight, followed by the Chiefs Andy Reid (5), the Seahawks’ Pete Carroll (2) and the Saints’ Sean Payton (1)