The folks at the Pro Football Writers of America recognized Kansas City Chiefs’ Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo with one of its most prestigious honors on Tuesday, naming the four-time Super Bowl champion as a recipient of the annual “Dr. Z Award.”

The Paul “Dr. Z” Zimmerman Award is presented for lifetime achievement as an assistant coach in the National Football League. The award’s namesake covered the NFL for three decades as the lead pro football writer for Sports Illustrated.

An NFL coach since 1999, Spagnuolo is one of the most decorated defensive coordinators in league history. He was instrumental in the New York Giants’ victory over the previously undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, and since arriving in Kansas City in 2019, Spagnuolo has been an integral part of the Chiefs’ march to three Super Bowl titles.

In fact, Spagnuolo is the only coordinator – offense or defense – to win a Super Bowl with two different franchises in NFL history.

Additionally, Spagnuolo’s defensive unit this past season was one for the record books. Kansas City did not yield 30 or more points to a single opponent over the course of the 2023 campaign, and despite facing four of the league’s top six scoring offenses during the playoffs, the Chiefs surrendered an average of just 15.8 points-per-game.

Spagnuolo is simply one of the very best to ever do it, and with the 2024 season quickly approaching, he’ll have an opportunity to add to his already lengthy resume soon enough.