Ron Rivera, Mike Mularkey, Chuck Pagano, John Harbaugh nominated for award

Four NFL head coaches are among 32 nominees, one from each NFL team, for the league's Salute to Service Award.

Carolina's Ron Rivera, Tennessee's Mike Mularkey, Indianapolis' Chuck Pagano and Baltimore's John Harbaugh, the 2013 winner, were nominated Friday for the seventh annual award presented by USAA, the NFL's official military appreciation sponsor. Finalists will be announced in January, and the recipient will be recognized at NFL Honors, the Super Bowl eve awards show at which The Associated Press hands out its individual league awards.

It is not unusual for a coach to be nominated; last year's winner was Dan Quinn of Atlanta.

A team owner, Paul Allen of Seattle, also is under consideration.

Other past winners are Vincent Jackson (2015), Jared Allen (2014), Charles Tillman (2012), and Bud Adams Jr. (2011).

USAA contributes $25,000 in the name of the award recipient to the official aid societies representing all five military branches.