Pat Shurmur Wins NFL Assistant Coach Of The Year

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Pat Shurmur's résumé received a boost Thursday, not that he necessarily needed it.

Widely believed to have landed the Giants' head coaching job, the Minnesota Vikings' offense coordinator was named NFL Assistant Coach of the Year by the Pro Football Writers Association.

MORE: 5 Facts About Pat Shurmur

It's no mystery why the job Shurmur did this season has been so heralded. With third-string quarterback Case Keenum under center for 14 games, the Vikings went 13-3 and had the NFL's 11th-ranked offense. Minnesota, which faces the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in the NFC championship game, also lost promising rookie running back Dalvin Cook to a torn ACL early in the season.

The Giants cannot officially hire Shurmur until after the Vikings' season has concluded. He was one of six candidates the team interviewed for the opening.

The 52-year-old was the Cleveland Browns' head coach from 2011-12. His background also includes serving as the offensive coordinator for the Eagles and St. Louis Rams.

MORE: Keidel: Let's Hope Keenum Isn't Part Of Package Deal With Shurmur

Shurmur wasn't much up for discussing the Giants job Thursday, telling reporters in Minnesota: "There's a time and place for everything. This is not the time or the place to talk about that."

He did, however, call the Giants an "iconic franchise" and said he left his interview with "the same amount of respect I had for them going in."

In recent years, anyone not named Wade Phillips who won Assistant Coach of the Year went on to become a head coach the following year, including Kyle Shanahan after the 2016 season, Hue Jackson after 2015 and Todd Bowles after 2014.

The Rams' Sean McVay was voted the Pro Football Writers Association's Coach of the Year while Eagles general manager Howie Roseman won Executive of the Year.