In his six-plus seasons as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Jason Garrett has been called a lot of things. Overmatched. Unqualified. A Jerry Jones "puppet."

But the way this Cowboys season is going, Garrett should have a new label when it's all said and done: NFL Coach of the Year.

If the season ended today, Garrett should win the award in a walk. He lost his starting quarterback and his backup quarterback (that's right -- remember Kellen Moore?) in training camp and opened the season with a fourth-round rookie under center. A Cowboys team that went 4-12 last season rebounded from that August body blow to go 11-1 so far and clinch a playoff spot on the first weekend in December.

Garrett isn't just pushing buttons here, rolling fabulous rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott out there every week and hoping for the best. Part of the Prescott and Elliott story is that they landed in an ideal NFL situation for rookie success. And while the offensive line is a big and justifiably well-publicized part of that, the coaching staff under Garrett isn't exempt from credit.

The atmosphere Garrett has helped create in his time as head of the Cowboys' staff is worthy of note. You almost never hear about locker room strife or back-channel criticism of the coaching staff in Dallas -- not even last year, which was a miserable one. Greg Hardy was the room's biggest malcontent, and it seems clear now (and kind of did then) that he was a volatile one-off. He didn't drag anyone else down with him, and the solidity of the room was a big reason why.

That solidity is a big reason why the veterans on the team were so easily able to embrace the rookies in such positions of prominence. It's a reason why Tony Romo was so willing -- even though he admitted to wrestling with it internally -- to accept a backup role upon his return from injury. Garrett's behind-the-scenes leadership is respected by players and coaches alike, and it's established a foundation upon which the Cowboys' 2016 success has been built.

Jason Garrett is now 56-44 in his 100 games as Dallas Cowboys head coach. EPA/Larry W. Smith

Veteran coordinators like Rod Marinelli and Scott Linehan not only defer to Garrett, but clearly respect him as their leader in spite of his being their junior. Linehan was Garrett's first NFL boss in 2005, when Garrett got a job on the Dolphins' coaching staff and Linehan was the offensive coordinator. But the streamlining of the playcalling and decision-making on the offensive side of the ball for the Cowboys since Linehan arrived is a big part of the stability story in Dallas, and it works because Linehan has so much respect for Garrett's growth as a coach and leader.

As Garrett stands one win away from his second 12-win season in three years, there's a case to be made that he has turned out to be a better head coach than he was an offensive coordinator or playcaller -- and that his skills as a head coach have flourished since he gave up those jobs. That's not weird or even unprecedented, but it's also not a trick every coordinator can pull off.

The Coach of the Year award often goes to the coach whose team most drastically exceeds preseason expectations. It should more often go to the coach whose team's success most closely reflects his leadership. Garrett fits both bills and deserves to be the front-runner for this year's award with four games to go.

Here's a look at his closest competition:

Bill Belichick, New England Patriots

You could make the case that Belichick should win this award every year, based on the latter qualification cited a couple sentences back. You could also make the case that the award should be named for Belichick, who may be the greatest NFL coach of all time. He went 3-1 during Tom Brady's suspension, has traded away two of his best defensive players since the end of last season and has had to play a decent chunk of the season without an injured Rob Gronkowski. The Patriots are 10-2. It seems his teams are always 10-2 at this point in the season.

Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City has won 20 of its last 24 games and is, with a huge game looming Thursday night, the biggest thorn in the side of the Raiders' storybook season. The Chiefs have a quarterback -- hand-picked by Reid -- who perfectly suits Reid's offense. They play with discipline, don't turn the ball over and are in every game -- winning more than a few when it looks as if they shouldn't.

Jack Del Rio, Oakland Raiders

We've seen him go for two when one would tie the game. We've seen him go for a touchdown when a field goal would tie the game. We see him at 10-2, currently the top seed in the AFC by a whisker over the Patriots. Del Rio's mission this season was to take a team that looked talented enough to win and make sure it learned how -- quickly. The risky in-game moves he's made have paid off and helped deliver those lessons.

Dirk Koetter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

A first-year coach with a second-year quarterback and a defense that's come together more quickly than anyone expected, Koetter has Tampa Bay at 7-5 and in possession of the 6-seed in the NFC playoff picture.

Adam Gase, Miami Dolphins

Miami rebounded from a 1-4 start to win six in a row before Sunday's loss to Baltimore. Gase's case in a microcosm is the job he did with running back Jay Ajayi, who was subject to heavy discipline early in the season but responded well enough to emerge as one of the league's best running backs over the past couple of months. Gase appears to have the touch.

Ben McAdoo, New York Giants

Hey, he's 8-4 with a team that hasn't finished .500 since 2012. The Giants are winning close games they lost a year ago. McAdoo is doing something right.

Jim Caldwell, Detroit Lions

Again, he's 8-4 somehow with a team that trailed in the fourth quarter of every game until Sunday's win at New Orleans. If the Lions win three or four more the rest of the way, he has to be in the conversation.