Josh McDaniels, the offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots, has been named the AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year for the 2025 season. The award was presented Thursday night at NFL Honors in San Francisco.
McDaniels, who previously served as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, received 17 of 50 first-place votes and finished with 249 points. Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph came in second with 10 first-place votes and 176 points.
This marks the first season of McDaniels’ third stint with the Patriots. He will guide quarterback Drake Maye, who is a finalist for both MVP and Offensive Player of the Year, into Super Bowl LIX against the Seattle Seahawks.
The AP Assistant Coach of the Year award was the first of eight honors announced during the ceremony. Other categories include Coach of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Rookie of the Year, and Offensive Rookie of the Year.
MVP finalists include Christian McCaffrey, Josh Allen, Trevor Lawrence, Drake Maye, and Matthew Stafford. McCaffrey and Lawrence are also finalists for Comeback Player of the Year.
Voting was conducted by a nationwide panel of 50 media members before the playoffs, with ballots tabulated by Lutz and Carr. Each voter selected a top five, awarding 10 points for first, five for second, three for third, two for fourth, and one for fifth.
