The Maxwell Football Club announced its 25th annual Earle "Greasy" Neale Award for Professional Coach of the Year, and the winner is Chip Kelly of the Philadelphia Eagles.
In his first season as an NFL head coach, Kelly seamlessly made the transition from college to the pros and engineered a monumental turnaround for a team that went 4-12 in 2012. The Eagles finished 2013 with a 10-6 record, following a 3-5 start, and won the NFC East division title to earn its first playoff berth since 2010. Kelly arrived in Philadelphia with an enormous amount of hype and plenty of skeptics, but his unique training methods and overall approach had players buying in immediately. He established a standard in year one of his mission to build an NFL program, and the future looks bright. Kelly will tell you he is not revolutionizing football in the slightest, but Eagles players and fans will tell you he has reshaped the franchise and has brought excitement and optimism back to the city.
Voters for all Maxwell Professional Awards are NFL coaching staffs and football personnel, members of the Maxwell Football Club and the Pro Writers of America Association, and local media.
The Maxwell Football Club 77th National Awards Gala will be held at the Revel Atlantic City Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Friday, March 14, starting at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now and include admission to the MFC National Awards Dinner and Cocktail Party. Tickets for this event are limited and are available on a first come, first serve basis. The following awards will be presented: The Bert Bell Award – Professional Player of the Year, The Greasy Neale Award – Professional Coach of the Year, The Maxwell Award – Collegiate Player of the Year – The Chuck Bednarik Award – Collegiate Defensive Player of the Year, The Francis "Reds" Bagnell Award – Contributions to Football, The Harrah's Broadcaster Award, The MFC Tri-State Player and Coach of the Year Awards, The MFC National High School Player of the Year Award and the MFC High School Jim Henry Award.
