Now that Super Bowl LVIII is in the books, and the Kansas City Chiefs have been crowned the 2023 NFL champions, the betting markets are officially open for next season.
With that, there is one market in particular we have our eyes on — NFL Coach of the Year.
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski won the award at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, marking the second time he has won the award in the past four seasons. He also won in 2020-21.
Stefanski is the 12th head coach in NFL history to win COY multiple times.
However, according to the early betting odds, he is not a favorite to win the award next season, as he is tied for the second-longest odds with New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen at +6000.
So who is the odds-on favorite?
None other than new Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh (+550), who is fresh off a national championship at the University of Michigan.
Harbaugh is no stranger to the award, having won in 2011-12, after he led the San Francisco 49ers to a 13-3 record and an NFC West title in his first season with the organization.
Can Harbaugh lead the Chargers to similar success in his first season and join Stefanski on the list of coaches to win COY multiple times?
Here are the Coach of the Year odds for the top ten favorites in 2024-25 from DraftKings Sportsbook: *
Jim Harbaugh, Chargers: +550 (bet $10 to win $65 total)
Matt LaFleur, Packers: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Raheem Morris, Falcons: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
Shane Steichen, Colts: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Robert Saleh, Jets: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Mike Macdonald, Dolphins: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
DeMeco Ryans, Texans: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)
Sean Mcvay, Rams: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
Matt Eberflus, Bears: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)
* odds as of 2/17/24
FOX Sports NFL analyst David Helman praised the Chargers’ hiring of Harbaugh.
“He’s one of just five coaches in history with a college national championship, as well as coached in a Super Bowl. Short of getting the actual Lombardi trophy, he has experienced the pinnacle of success at every level of football you can ask.
“The thing I love … and this is why I’m so confident this is a slam dunk hire: Find the location where Jim Harbaugh hasn’t taken his program to a new high. He turned Stanford into a college football powerhouse. Michigan, they just won their first national championship since the 90s. … And, oh by the way … when he wasn’t doing all that stuff in college, he only made three straight NFC Championship Games as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers [and] came within a whisker of beating his brother John Harbarugh to win the Super Bowl back in 2012.”
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