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Every new NFL season brings about a new chance for a great head coach to emerge. We're ready to hold the clipboard, share our NFL odds series, and make a 2024-2025 NFL Coach of the Year prediction and pick.
Kevin Stefanski won the NFL Coach of the Year award (for the second time) in 2023 after leading the Cleveland Browns to an 11-6 record and a playoff appearance despite losing Deshaun Watson for the season. Prior, Brian Daboll won the award after leading the New York Giants to the playoffs. Who takes it this season? We're here to evaluate six contenders.
Here are the NFL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NFL Odds: NFL Coach of the Year Odds
Jim Harbaugh: +1000
Matt Eberflus: +1000
Raheem Morris: +1200
Matt Lefleur: +1300
DeMeco Ryans: +1400
Shane Steichen: +1400
Kansas City Chiefs:
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Why Jim Harbaugh Will Win NFL Coach of the Year
Harbaugh is back in the NFL for the first time in a decade after leaving the San Francisco 49ers following the 2014 season. Now, he can redeem himself and claim that elusive Super Bowl.
Harbaugh takes over the Los Angeles Chargers. Ultimately, winning the AFC West would be a great way to seal his status as Coach of the Year. Harbaugh also must help the Los Angeles Chargers finally defeat the Kansas Chiefs, which includes a stretch where the Chiefs are 11-3 in the 14 games since the Chargers moved to LA. Significantly, He led the 2011 49ers to a 13-3 season after the 2010 squad went 6-10. There is plenty of talent on this team to replicate that success.
Why Matt Eberflus Will Win NFL Coach of the Year
Eberflus is in his third season with the Chicago Bears. However, the excuses are gone, as he will have numerous talents to work with. Eberflus has Caleb Williams at quarterback and a new wide receiver in Rome Odunze. Additionally, the Bears signed Keenan Allen and D'Andre Swift.
If the Bears can explode on offense and become one of the NFC's better teams, Eberflus will get tons of credit for the transformation. Also, beating the Green Bay Packers is paramount. The Packers have won 10 games in a row in this series.
Why Raheem Morris Will Win NFL Coach of the Year
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Raheem Morris takes over the Atlanta Falcons. He must help Atlanta overtake the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South and fend off the Carolina Panthers.
Morris gets Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. as his quarterbacks. Likewise, he has Bijan Robinson, who rushed 214 times for 976 yards and caught 58 passes for 487 yards for four scores, as his running back. Morris must engineer a team with plenty of talent but a lack of success in recent memory. Morris can win the award if he can guide the Falcons to an NFC South title.
Why Matt Lefleur Could Win NFL Coach of the Year
Matt Lefluer is a surprising name on this list, considering the Green Bay Packers have been playoff contenders for the last few years. However, he is coaching a very young team led by Jordan Love.
Lefleur must help the Packers get past the Detroit Lions and stave off the Chicago Bears. Likewise, he must help get Love to the next level. One of the biggest obstacles to overcome is the San Francisco 49ers. So far, Lefleur is 2-3 against the Niners, including 0-2 in the postseason.
Why DeMeco Ryans Could Win NFL Coach of the Year
DeMico Ryans is an exceptional contender for the NFL Coach of the Year award. Ultimately, the goal is to get CJ Stroud to the next level and help the Houston Texans reach that pinnacle.
The most complex challenge will be maintaining Stefon Diggs and controlling his behavior. Additionally, he must help marinate the defense and make it even stronger. But the biggest thing that could cement Ryans as the NFL Coach of the Year would be by beating the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens. Currently, those two are the cream of the crop in the AFC.
Why Shane Steichen Could Win NFL Coach of the Year
Shane Steichen is in his second season with the Indianapolis Colts, and many overlook him. But despite numerous injuries to his team, including quarterback Anthony Richardson, he still almost guided the Colts to an AFC South division title.
Steichen could seal the deal by guiding the Colts to an AFC South division title. Furthermore, he must guide the Colts to victory over the Texans and challenge the AFC powerhouses to showcase how good they are and how good Steichen is.
Final NFL Coach of the Year Prediction & Pick
Unless the Colts dominate, Steichen likely won't win. Moreover, LeFleur likely won't take it unless they establish dominance. Morris will be a solid contender. But he also needs to do much more to have a chance. Eberflus and Ryans are both on talented teams who may win it regardless. Therefore, our pick is Harbaugh. Given how much the Chargers have struggled, Harbaugh turning them around and leading them to the postseason while also getting a small run would give him the award with zero hesitation.
Final NFL Coach of the Year Prediction & Pick: Jim Harbaugh: +1000
