Bengals' Marvin Lewis is AP NFL Coach of the Year

By BARRY WILNER
AP Football Writer

NEW YORK -- Marvin Lewis had much more than game plans to deal with this season.

Lewis won The Associated Press 2009 NFL Coach of the Year award for guiding his team to the playoffs during a season marked by tragedy.

The Bengals won the AFC North with a 10-6 record, just their second division title since 1990, both under Lewis. They did so despite the deaths of wide receiver Chris Henry and Vikki Zimmer, the wife of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. Several players' families also were directly affected by the tsunami in the Samoan Islands.

For holding his team together under such circumstances and leading a turnaround from a 4-11-1 record in 2008, Lewis earned 20 1/2 votes Saturday from a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the league. He beat Sean Payton of New Orleans (11 1/2), Norv Turner of San Diego (9) and Jim Caldwell of Indianapolis (7). Andy Reid of Philadelphia and Ken Whisenhunt of Arizona had a single vote each.

My vote would have went to Gary Payton.

My vote would have went to Gary Payton.

You would have voted for a retired NBA player?

I would have given it to Caldwell...first year coach, and the only reason his team doesn't go undefeated is because management didn't let them? Kidding me?

He's done a nice job there, but I wouldn't give it to him because he is a first year coach following decisions made that made the Colts successful. Payton went to his boss, told him to take a quarter of a million of his salary and add it to the offer they gave Greg Williams to coach his defense. He then hired Greg Williams son as a coach, and then went back to him with the new offer/incentives.

The Saints always had offense, but now they have a complimentary defense. I would not be surprised to see them as Super Bowl champions.