Chargers' Jim Harbaugh favored to win 2024 NFL Coach of the Year

Many believe that Jim Harbaugh will usher in a turnaround for a Chargers team that won just five games in 2023.

The Los Angeles Chargers made a seismic change to the team's brain trust during the offseason, hiring Jim Harbaugh, the man who helped lead the Michigan Football program to a College Football Playoff National Championship as the team's head coach, to usher in a new era. And it looks like many believe that Harbaugh could be the man to turn things around for the Chargers moving forward.

According to the latest FanDuel Sportsbook, the new Chargers head coach is the favorite to win the NFL Coach of the Year award for the 2024 season, with his odds to do so set at +800 at the moment.

Joining the Chargers head coach in the top six of favorites to take home the prestigious acclaim are as follows: Atlanta Falcons' Raheem Morris (+1200), Arizona Cardinals' Jonathan Gannon (+1400), Denver Broncos' Sean Payton (+1600), Indianapolis Colts' Shane Steichen (+1600), and Tennessee Titans' Brian Callahan.

It's certainly interesting that among the favorites to take home the award, three are fresh hires (Jim Harbaugh, Morris, and Callahan), while the other three have only been at the helm for one season (Payton, Steichen, and Gannon). The potential impact of fresh faces when it comes to rejuvenating stagnating franchises appears to be one of the foremost driving narratives when it comes to who would win the NFL Coach of the Year Award.

In 2022, the new guy effect certainly drove Brian Daboll's Coach of the Year candidacy, as he helped usher in a turnaround for the New York Giants from a 4-13 finish to a strong 9-7 record and a playoff berth. For Harbaugh, leading the Chargers back to contention the way the team was in 2022 will be imperative for him to make good on these early odds.

Last year, the Chargers won just five games; the pieces, however, that led the team to a playoff berth in 2022 are still present, and Harbaugh, who has an impressive track record in the collegiate level, not to mention his strong body of work in his four years as the San Francisco 49ers' head coach before some internal turmoil led to his inevitable departure. Simply put, hopes are running high for the Chargers. Only time will tell if Harbaugh delivers in his first season with the team.