Former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt received one fifth-place vote for Assistant Coach of the Year. The vote was placed by CBS Sports’ Aditi Kinkhabwala.
There is a slight case to be had for Van Pelt winning the award. After all, he helped in the impressive development of rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
It was a strong NFL start for the 22-year-old signal-caller in a year where he didn’t start the whole season and played behind a struggling offensive line. The team also lacked standout talent at the wide receiver position. Yet, Maye still finished the year with 2,276 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
The offense as a whole struggled in New England with the unit ranking 31st in total offense with an average of 291.9 yards per game.
Van Pelt did his best to create a cohesive offensive unit with the pieces available to him, but it ultimately wasn’t enough to turn things around or save his job with the team.
After firing Jerod Mayo, the Patriots hired Mike Vrabel as their new head coach and brought back Josh McDaniels for a third stint as the offensive coordinator.
