Ron Rivera took the Carolina Panthers from also-ran to division champion this season, earning him the Coach of the Year award.

Rivera's Panthers went 12-4 to take the NFC South and get a first-round playoff bye. They lost to San Francisco in the divisional round.

Rivera's fine work in his third season in charge in Carolina brought him 21½ votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league in balloting announced Saturday night. That outdistanced Kansas City's Andy Reid, who got 13½ votes after his first season with the Chiefs.