NFL Coach of the Year 2024: Pre-Season Odds to Consider

• The NFL Coach of the Year Award is usually given to the head coach that got the most out of their roster and surprised the league.

• Kevin Stefanski won the award in 2023 for the second time after leading the Browns to the playoffs with four different starting quarterbacks during the season.

• The 2024 season will begin with Matt Eberflus and Raheem Morris as co-favorites for Coach of the Year honors.

The 2023 NFL season is in the books and everything resets for 2024. That includes the candidates for Coach of the Year. Cleveland’s Kevin Stefanski won the award in 2023, but Coach of the Year isn’t the type of award with a lot of repeat winners. There will likely be a new group of coaches in contention for the award in 2024. 

Matt Eberflus and Raheem Morris are currently co-favorites for Coach of the Year with +1000 odds according to FanDuel Sportsbook. To be fair, other sportsbooks have Jim Harbaugh listed as the favorite, so this figures to be a tight race. The likes of Robert Saleh, DeMeco Ryans, and some other familiar names aren’t far behind, which should make this a fascinating race to watch once the season gets underway. Let’s take a closer look at the preseason odds for NFL Coach of the Year in 2024.

NFL Coach of the Year Odds

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Click on the odds below to head over to FanDuel and place your bets: Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets.

NFL Coach of the Year Predictions

Coach of the Year in the NFL is one of the more unusual awards in the league. It’s rarely given to the best coach, as evidenced by Bill Belichick only winning it three times in his distinguished career and Mike Tomlin never winning the award despite his sustained success in Pittsburgh, including an NFL record 17 straight non-losing seasons.

Rather than giving the coach of the best team the award, Coach of the Year typically goes to the coach of the team that exceeded expectations the most. That can make it a difficult award to handicap, especially early in the season. That’s why we plan on keeping up with all of the changes with regard to the Coach of the Year race. Make sure you check back regularly as we update the odds of each contender and give our pick for who will win the award.

Matt Eberflus, Bears (+1000 at FanDuel)

Since the draft, Eberflus has seen his Coach of the Year odds shrink dramatically. He was something of a long shot early in the offseason, but people are starting to actually believe the Bears can be a quality team in 2024. Obviously, the key will be the play of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. If he takes off, the Bears have a chance to be a playoff contender. Chicago made some other moves this offseason that should move the needle as well. After going 10-24 in his first two seasons, if Eberflus can suddenly make the Bears a playoff contender, he’ll be a prime candidate for Coach of the Year honors.

Raheem Morris, Falcons (+1000 at FanDuel)

Morris is back in the saddle as an NFL head coach. Of course, it’s fair to be skeptical of him with a career record of 21-38, including a stint as Atlanta’s interim coach in 2020. The good news is that he has a roster that can win in 2024. The Falcons boast one of the best offensive lines in the NFL and a core of young, talented offensive playmakers. Most importantly, Atlanta now has a veteran quarterback like Kirk Cousins to lead the way. The question is how good the Falcons have to be for Morris to be Coach of the Year. Atlanta is favored in the AFC South, so it could take 12 wins for Morris to be a serious Coach of the Year candidate.

Bet on Raheem Morris (+1000) at FanDuel 

Jim Harbaugh, Chargers (+1400 at FanDuel)

In his highly-anticipated return to the NFL, some believe that Harbaugh is poised to win Coach of the Year. After winning a national championship at Michigan, a lot is expected of Harbaugh with the Chargers. After all, he had a 44-19-1 record during his four seasons as head coach of the 49ers, not to mention a 5-3 record in the playoffs. Harbaugh also has an edge in Coach of the Year because the Chargers have underperformed in recent years. Yet, with Justin Herbert at quarterback, the team’s upside is high. If Harbaugh can get the best out of the Chargers and at least get them to the playoffs, he’ll be a serious candidate for Coach of the Year.

Bet on Jim Harbaugh (+1400) at FanDuel 

DeMeco Ryans, Texans (+1400 at FanDuel)

Surprisingly, the window for Ryans to win Coach of the Year hasn’t closed. He came close to winning the award last season by virtue of winning the AFC South and winning a playoff game with a rookie quarterback. Ryans could still win Coach of the Year in 2024, although the bar is going to be higher. He’ll have to turn the Texans into a bonafide contender in the AFC on par with the Chiefs and Ravens. That’s no easy task, but if Stroud can take another step forward and Ryans improve the Houston defense, it could happen.

Bet on DeMeco Ryans (+1400) at FanDuel 

Jonathan Gannon, Cardinals (+1400 at FanDuel)

Throughout the early part of the summer, Gannon has made a surprise move up the Coach of the Year hierarchy. He finds himself on level ground with some quality coaches. Obviously, his first season at the helm was never going to be a success with Kyler Murray starting the year injured. Even during the latter part of the season, the Cardinals didn’t make a lot of headway. However, the Cardinals have had a positive offseason and there is some positivity in Arizona. Plus, the bar isn’t that high, so if Gannon can just put the Cardinals in position to compete for a playoff spot, he’ll get some serious Coach of the Year consideration.

Bet on Jonathan Gannon (+1400) at FanDuel 

Shane Steichen, Colts (+1400 at FanDuel)

Last year, Steichen made a late run for Coach of the Year honors, which has put him on the radar heading into 2024. After all, he showed last season that he can make his team more than the sum of its parts. The key this season will be what Steichen can do with second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson, who flashed a lot of promise in 2023 but ended up missing most of his rookie campaign. Of course, to win Coach of the Year this season, Steichen might have to lead the Colts to a division title over both the Texans and Jaguars. That’s no easy task, which is why it’s a little surprising to see him with such short odds.

Bet on Shane Steichen (+1400) at FanDuel 

Matt LaFleur, Packers (+1600 at FanDuel)

It was a little disappointing that LaFleur didn’t receive more Coach of the Year consideration in 2023. Green Bay had such low expectations before the season, yet LaFleur got them to the playoffs and won a road playoff game. Surely, that has put LaFleur on the radar for Coach of the Year in 2024. However, matching last year’s 9-8 record won’t be enough. The Packers will have to return to the top of the NFC North and become an NFC heavyweight for LaFleur to be Coach of the Year, which doesn’t leave him with much margin for error.

Bet on Matt LaFleur (+1600) at FanDuel 

Who Will Win Coach of the Year - My Pick

Raheem Morris, (+1000) at FanDuel

Call us optimistic, but the Falcons have a chance to be one of the best teams in the NFC this year. Atlanta should be able to dominate the NFC South with Cousins at the helm. With the controversial pick of Michael Penix Jr., the Falcons actually have a good Plan B if the aging Cousins gets hurt again. Much like the Lions last year, Atlanta could take a huge leap and suddenly become a serious threat to the 49ers in the NFC hierarchy. That would make Morris an obvious choice for Coach of the Year. There might be one or two better candidates on paper, but between the opportunity and the odds, we like Morris.

Bet on Raheem Morris (+1000) at FanDuel 

Who Was the NFL Coach of the Year in 2023?

In 2023, Kevin Stefanski won Coach of the Year. It was his second time winning Coach of the Year honors in his four seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Stefanski led the Browns to an 11-6 record and a spot in the playoffs despite losing star running back Nick Chubb to injury early in the season and later losing starting quarterback Deshaun Watson to an injury as well. Ultimately, Cleveland used four different starting quarterbacks with Stefanski taking the Browns to the playoffs after signing aging quarterback Joe Flacco off the street. That level of difficulty is what impressed voters enough to select Stefanski over several other worthy candidates.

NFL Coach of the Year History

The AP NFL Coach of the Year award has been given out every season since 1957. George Wilson of the Detroit Lions was the inaugural winner that season. To date, 15 coaches who have won the award were later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

Past NFL Coach of the Year Winners

How to Read NFL Coach of the Year Odds

Unless there is a heavy favorite, each candidate for Coach of the Year will have plus (+) odds. This means that your profit will be more than you bet. For instance, if you bet $100 on a coach with +300 odds, the profit will be $300. In rare cases, a heavy favorite will have negative (-) odds. For example, if one candidate has -150 odds, you will have to bet $150 in order to make a profit of $100.

How to Choose the Best Sportsbook for Betting on NFL Coach of the Year

Often overlooked when it comes to betting on NFL Coach of the Year is choosing the best sportsbook available. Sportsbooks often have different odds, different promos, and different features. It’s usually best to shop around at different sportsbooks before making your choice.