2024-25 NFL Coach Of The Year Odds and Predictions

The Coach of the Year award may not be your first priority when it comes to betting on the NFL, but there’s still money to be made if you play your cards right. In most cases, Coach of the Year is awarded to the coach whose team most vastly exceeds preseason expectations. In some cases, the coach of the team that finishes with the best record may also take home the trophy.

Last year, Cleveland’s Kevin Stefanski won Coach of the Year for the second time in 4 years. The Browns were crushed by injuries, yet still managed to make a playoff run out of the AFC North. We don’t often see coaches win the award on multiple occasions, and rookie coaches tend to be particularly intriguing value bets.

So, who will win it in 2024? Let’s take a gander at the early odds, courtesy of the best NFL betting sites.

2024 NFL Coach of the Year Odds

Matt Eberflus (+850)

Matt Eberflus, head coach of the Chicago Bears, leads the pack with the best odds to win the Coach of the Year award. Eberflus has been one of the league’s most renowned defensive coaches over the course of his career, but this is his first full-time head coaching opportunity. He’s set to enter his third season on the sidelines in Chicago.

Many are expecting the Bears to improve in a big way on the heels of a very active offseason. In addition to star rookies Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze, Chicago also added some established playmaking talent on offense in Keenan Allen and D’Andre Swift. This is arguably the most talented offensive group we’ve seen the Bears produce in decades, so many are optimistic about Chicago’s chances to make a playoff push out of the NFC North. The Bears haven’t appeared in the playoffs since 2020, while they haven’t won their division since 2018.

The path to the playoffs isn’t an easy one, especially considering Chicago plays in a tough division that also features playoff hopefuls in the Lions and Packers. Chicago went from 3-14 in Eberflus’ first season to 7-10 last year. Similar improvement this year would put Eberflus firmly in the Coach of the Year conversation.

Jim Harbaugh (+850)

Tied with Eberflus, Jim Harbaugh of the Los Angeles Chargers is another leading COY candidate.

Harbaugh made the leap back into the NFL this offseason after leading Michigan to a National Championship last year. Harbaugh previously won Coach of the Year in 2011 as a rookie coach with the San Francisco 49ers. He led the Niners to a Super Bowl a couple of years later before deciding to part ways with the team after the 2014 campaign. Harbaugh enjoyed a very successful run in the college ranks with his alma mater, and the Chargers lured him back into the NFL with a lucrative contract reportedly worth more than $16 million per year.

The Chargers were one of the league’s most disappointing teams a season ago, which led to Brandon Staley’s dismissal. Justin Herbert is one of the NFL’s most talented young QBs, though he lost a trio of weapons in Keenan Allen, Austin Ekeler, and Mike Williams this offseason. Harbaugh’s track record suggests he’s fully capable of making the Bolts relevant again, though I’m skeptical of their chances to improve in a big way this season.

As a result, I think Eberflus is a better value than Harbaugh at their identical +850 NFL Coach of the Year odds.

Robert Saleh (+1200)

Robert Saleh of the New York Jets is known for his defensive acumen and intense coaching style. Saleh was a leading contender to win Coach of the Year prior to last season, but the Week 1 Achilles injury to Aaron Rodgers ultimately doomed the Jets’ season. It doomed Saleh’s Coach of the Year hopes, too.

Saleh is just 18-33 through his first 3 seasons on the sidelines for New York, but this team has enough talent to make a playoff charge if Rodgers can stay healthy. That’ll be no easy task considering Rodgers is set to turn 41 years old in December, but QBs these days tend to age pretty well. Rodgers also has some capable weapons at his disposal, while the Jets have added a few star-caliber defenders in Sauce Gardner, CJ Mosley, and Quinnen Williams in recent years.

The road to an AFC East title is a complicated one with the Bills and Dolphins also firmly in the mix. New York may have to settle for a Wild Card spot as a result. Would earning a Wild Card spot be enough to launch Saleh into the Coach of the Year conversation? The New York spotlight won’t hurt his chances, though I’m not sure Saleh should be among the betting favorites.

Matt LaFleur (+1200)

Matt LaFleur, head coach of the Green Bay Packers, seems to be a Coach of the Year contender every season. His offensive strategies have kept the Packers competitive on a yearly basis, and the team remained among the best in the NFC last season even after the departure of Aaron Rodgers.

LaFleur only picked up a couple of third-place votes in last year’s voting, but many are predicting the team to take a step forward in Jordan Love’s second season as the starting QB. Love was incredibly impressive in his first term as a starter at the NFL level, and Green Bay has quietly rebuilt their offense over the past couple of seasons. Former Raiders standout Josh Jacobs is now in town to anchor what was a fairly underwhelming backfield a season ago.

If Green Bay can get more out of the running game, Love should continue to develop nicely as a passer. With so much hype around the Lions and Bears in the division, the Packers seem to be flying under the radar a bit.

Raheem Morris (+1300)

Raheem Morris has transitioned back into a head coaching role after spending the past few seasons serving as the Rams’ defensive coordinator. Morris has taken over as the head man in Atlanta, and the Falcons are hoping things will go better than they did during Morris’ first head-coaching stint in Tampa Bay several years ago.

Like the Bears, the Falcons are a team generating some preseason buzz. Kirk Cousins is now here to replace the inconsistent Desmond Ridder under center, which should help to unlock an offense that already featured talented youngsters in Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts. The NFC South is the weakest division in football, which gives the Falcons a great opportunity to qualify for the playoffs as a division winner.

We haven’t seen Atlanta in the playoffs since 2017. The Falcons haven’t won more than 7 games in a season during that particularly dismal stretch, but they enter the 2024 campaign with an over/under of 9.5 victories. Leading this team to 10-plus wins should be enough to get Morris into the Coach of the Year discussion, which makes him an interesting candidate at the +1300 odds to win it.

DeMeco Ryans (+1300)

DeMeco Ryans of the Houston Texans is a fresh face in the head coaching ranks but brings a wealth of defensive knowledge. Ryans led the Texans from a last-place finish in 2022 to a division title in his first year on the job last season. He wound up finishing a very close second to Stefanski in last year’s Coach of the Year voting, and I think he was really the deserving winner considering how horrific the Texans were prior to his arrival.

Houston is facing substantially loftier expectations entering this season, so they won’t be sneaking up on anybody. The Texans are pretty clearly the most talented team in the AFC South, and it’s reasonable to expect CJ Stroud to continue to improve entering his second pro campaign.

Given those high hopes, the Texans may have to challenge the Chiefs and Ravens for the top seed in the AFC playoffs in order for Ryans to garner much Coach of the Year consideration again. I think his best shot at winning it was last year. I’m a bit nervous about everybody crowning the Texans too early after such a flashy offseason, and Ryans won’t come close to winning COY if Houston struggles under the weight of those expectations.

Shane Steichen (+1600)

Shane Steichen, head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, has a reputation for developing quarterbacks and cultivating high-flying offenses. Indy got off to a promising start in Steichen’s first year on the job last season, but the season-ending injury to Anthony Richardson ultimately doomed their chances to make much noise in the AFC.

Indianapolis is another team with loads of on-paper talent, and I’d expect them to emerge as the primary challengers to the Texans in the division. The jury is still out on whether Richardson will emerge as a franchise-altering talent, while let’s hope Jonathan Taylor can finally enjoy a healthy season following a couple of injury-truncated campaigns.

You’re not hearing much about the Colts heading into the season with Houston garnering most of the attention among AFC South hopefuls. If Indianapolis comes out of nowhere to win 10-plus games, Steichen’s Coach of the Year odds will improve considerably. I don’t hate the idea of taking a flier on him at the +1600 preseason odds.

Jonathan Gannon (+1600)

Jonathan Gannon of the Arizona Cardinals is another coach with a defensive background. Gannon’s ability to turn around a struggling Cardinals team and make them competitive will be key to his Coach of the Year candidacy.

Arizona finished in last place in the NFC West last season, and it’s going to be hard for them to climb out of the cellar in a division that features more established teams in the 49ers, Rams, and Seahawks. This has the potential to be the best division in football, but it’s going to take quite a turnaround for Gannon to lap the field in the Coach of the Year race.

Arizona is fresh off of consecutive 4-13 seasons, so it won’t take a monumental effort for them to improve upon that win total. I just don’t think they’re going to be all that competitive when it comes to challenging for a playoff spot, which makes Gannon an easy fade, in my opinion.

Dan Campbell (+1600)

The Lions‘ Dan Campbell is known for his fiery personality and motivational skills. Campbell’s ability to galvanize his team and potentially lead the Lions to a Super Bowl appearance makes him a noteworthy contender.

Detroit came up just shy of that goal with their defeat at the hands of the 49ers in last year’s NFC Championship Game. The team is largely running it back this season with last year’s roster and hoping another year of experience will help them get across the goal line.

Despite having emerged as one of the league’s brightest and most popular young coaches, Campbell has yet to win Coach of the Year. Leading the Lions to an NFC South title and the top seed in the conference would make him a firm contender, though, and I think he’s going a bit undervalued here at +1600.

Dave Canales (+1800)

Dave Canales – the Bucs’ offensive coordinator turned Panthers head coach- has a challenging task with his new team. If Canales can implement a successful offensive system and improve his team’s record significantly, he will be in the conversation for Coach of the Year.

That’s easier said than done with this team, of course. Bryce Young’s rookie season was an abject failure in just about every way, and there’s no telling whether the former Heisman Trophy winner has what it takes to become a franchise centerpiece at the NFL level. Carolina also hasn’t done a particularly admirable job of surrounding Young with talent on the offensive side of the ball, so I’m expecting this team to struggle mightily once again.

Oddsmakers agree. The Panthers are tied with the Patriots for the best odds to finish with the worst record in the NFL this season. While the NFC South is ripe for the taking, I don’t see any reason to believe the Panthers are going to be the team to do the taking.

Dan Quinn (+1800)

Dan Quinn led the Falcons to a Super Bowl appearance in 2016 before spending the past few years as the defensive coordinator in Dallas. Earlier this year, the Commanders hired him to replace Ron Rivera as the head coach.

Washington has been a rebuilding team for the last few years. Newcomers like Jayden Daniels and Austin Ekeler could help the team improve this season, but few are expecting the Commanders to mount a serious playoff push in the NFC. A third-place finish in a division that also features Dallas and Philadelphia is likely the ceiling for this team.

Is a third-place finish enough to win Quinn Coach of the Year? Doubtful.

Brian Callahan (+2000)

Brian Callahan did an admirable job as the offensive coordinator for the Bengals over the past few years, and he parlayed that into the head coaching job in Tennessee this offseason. He’s been pivotal in developing one of the most explosive offenses in the league, but he’ll have his work cut out for him with the Titans.

The Titans have a lot of question marks. Is Will Levis capable of leading this offense into the future? Will Tyjae Spears and Tony Pollard be able to fill the gigantic shoes vacated by the departed Derrick Henry? If DeAndre Hopkins battles injuries again – which appears rather likely – is Treylon Burks really the guy who’s going to step up and fill the void at wide receiver? Did the Titans really need to give $90 million to Calvin Ridley?

Tennessee appears destined for another last-place finish in the AFC South behind the Texans, Colts, and Jaguars.

Antonio Pierce (+2000)

Antonio Pierce of the Las Vegas Raiders is an underdog but a notable mention at +2000. Pierce’s ability to motivate and lead a turnaround season for the Raiders will be crucial for his candidacy.

Pierce took over on an interim basis after Josh McDaniels was unceremoniously dumped midway through last year. While Pierce wasn’t able to lead the team to the playoffs, he did become an extremely popular voice in the room. The players loved Pierce so much that the Raiders may have had a mutiny on their hands had they decided to hire anybody else on a full-time basis this offseason.

Whether Pierce will be able to bottle that energy over the course of a full season remains to be seen. Las Vegas isn’t without talent on either side of the ball, but it’ll take at least a playoff berth in order for Pierce to garner much Coach of the Year buzz. The Raiders have made just one playoff appearance in 4 years since moving to Vegas, while the franchise hasn’t won a playoff game since 2002.

Who Will Win NFL Coach of the Year?

The race for NFL Coach of the Year in 2024 is filled with seasoned veterans and promising newcomers. Eberflus and Harbaugh are understandable favorites, but it’s fair to assume we’ll see the Coach of the Year odds shift considerably as the season progresses.

Of the two favorites, I much prefer Eberflus to Harbaugh. The +850 odds are still very attackable and offer upside, as well. If you’re in the market for a bit more value, I don’t mind fliers on Raheem Morris (+1300), Shane Steichen (+1600), or Dan Campbell (+1600). If I’m only choosing one, I’ll side with Campbell. I’m extremely bullish on the Lions in general and think they have a great shot at challenging the Niners for the top seed in the NFC playoffs.

Best Bet: Dave Campbell (+1600)