He probably won't get it. However, taking a team which gave up 46 goals in it's first 23 games and turning them into the group which has given up 5 goals in 10 games (two were pens) and an incredible 7 shutouts in the last 9 games is as good a coaching job as I've ever seen in the MLS.
"Whether he wins or not, he is certainly interim coach of the year..." * LOL! Damn straight! The Magpie
Frankly, I see how the other two candidates can top Nicol. Jefferies isn't going to get it, because Dallas did exactly what they always do - play very well during the regular season and then swoon in the playoffs. Hardly Coach of the Year material. Sigi has a case, being coach of the top team in the league. However, it's the same as Jefferies - LA always does well. So Sigi's job was commendable, but still status quo. Nicol, on the other hand, is making the proverbial silk purse out of a sow's ear. He inherited a team that always does poorly, and that was already collapsing early in the season. He jettisoned a number of the players who were considered the only hope for the Revs, and replaced them with the all-MLS-journeyman team. Suddenly, the doormats are defensively impregnable, and have one of the top offenses in the league. Really, how can Steve not win?
I'm assuming the awards are decided at the end of the regular season, like most other sports, so playoff performances will be after the fact. This means that the Dallas collapse won't have a negative affect on voting and the Rev's playoff push won't have a positive affect. Sigi will win for having the best record, which in itself was very much dependant on 'discovering' The Fish. KF
Yeah, he's coach of the year. Even if the Revs don't get to the finals, he's taken them from the bottom to the top. WHat else has he got to do? Alos, the league needs a winner in NE and if the team doesn't do it, then lets dump some honors on the coach. It's the politically correct thing for the league to do