It’s hard to overstate the job Wade Phillips has done in Denver this year. In sports, teams go from bad to mediocre or from mediocre to good all the time, but it is extremely difficult to go from good to great, and in the Broncos’ case, possibly even legendary.

But that’s exactly what Phillips has accomplished in Denver, and the Broncos have needed every last ounce of greatness this season, as their defense has led them through the AFC West to the No. 1 seed and hopefully to the Super Bowl this weekend.

On Thursday, the Pro Football Writers of America rightfully gave Phillips the recognition he deserves, naming him the Co-Assistant Coordinator of the Year, alongside the Bengals’ Hue Jackson.

Under Phillips, the Denver Broncos finished the season as the No. 1 defense in the NFL for the first time in franchise history, also posting the top pass defense, the third-best run defense and the most sacks in the league.

This is the first time a Broncos coordinator has earned this honor, but it’s the second time for Wade Phillips, as he took home the award back in 2011 with the Houston Texans. He now joins Dom Capers (Steelers 1994; Jaguars 1999) and Dick LeBeau (Steelers 2004, ’08) as the only three coordinators to ever win the award more than once.

Now, as Phillips prepares to face Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game, he’ll be forced to put that recognition to the test; this will be his toughest challenge yet.