NFL Coach of the Year 2024/25: Has Kevin O’Connell Done Enough to Win?

• 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 began with Jim Harbaugh and Matt Eberflus as co-favorites for Coach of the Year honors.

With the 2024 NFL regular season over, the Coach of the Year race was arguably the most fascinating award to watch. The pre-season favorites like Jim Harbaugh and Matt Eberflus were nowhere close to winning. Instead, the race came down to Dan Campbell and Kevin O’Connell, much like the top seed in the NFC came down to the Lions and Vikings.

Of course, we won’t know who won the award until right before the Super Bowl. However, it’s worth noting that voting happens immediately after the regular season, so nothing that happens in the playoffs will have an impact on the Coach of the Year race. According to FanDuel, O’Connell is the betting favorite. Yet, with Campbell and the Lions beating O’Connell’s Vikings in the final game of the season, this isn’t a done deal. 

If you’re hoping to make a last-minute wager on Coach of the Year, it’s worth taking one final look at the odds of every candidate and the case that each coach has made this season as it relates to their Coach of the Year candidacy. Here is a closer look at the top contenders for 2024 NFL Coach of the Year now that the regular season is over.

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 $300 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins.

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. Make sure you check back regularly as we update the odds of each contender and give our pick for who will win the award.

Kevin O’Connell, Vikings (-750) at FanDuel

No team surpassed expectations in 2024 more than the Vikings. Before the season, their over/under win total at most sportsbooks was just 6.5 wins. But instead of being the worst team in the NFC North and among the worst in the NFL, Minnesota started the season 5-0 and finished 14-3. If not for two head-to-head losses to the Lions, the Vikings could have been the top seed in the NFC. It’s hard to give O’Connell enough credit for the job he’s done this season, especially with the way he did it with Sam Darnold at quarterback. Even with two head-to-head losses to Campbell and the Lions, it’ll be hard for voters not to be enamored with the job O’Connell has done this season.

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Dan Campbell, Lions (+430) at FanDuel

Is Campbell seriously going to have Coach of the Year taken away from him for a second straight season? He looked like a safe bet last season until Cleveland’s late run gave the award to Kevin Stefanski. Campbell spent a good chunk of the 2024 season as the betting favorite for Coach of the Year. Yet, a nine-game winning streak by O’Connell and the Vikings is likely to take it away from him. It almost doesn’t seem fair. Surely, Campbell deserves some type of formal recognition for how he’s turned the Lions around over the last few years. He also led Detroit to a 15-2 record this season. However, for a team that made the NFC Championship Game last season, a 15-2 record didn’t surpass expectations enough despite Campbell coaching arguably the best team in the NFL.

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Sean Payton, Broncos (+3000) at FanDuel

If not for O’Connell, Payton could have been a more serious candidate to win Coach of the Year for the second time in his career. Before the season, Denver’s over/under win projection was just 5.5 wins, tied for the lowest in the league. In fact, many believed the Broncos could be the worst team in the NFL this season with a rookie quarterback and the biggest cap hit in league history after parting with Russell Wilson. However, Payton led Denver to 10 wins and a playoff spot with Bo Nix at quarterback. Even the Denver defense surpassed expectations to help the Broncos break their playoff drought. Nevertheless, Payton didn’t exceed expectations to the same level that O’Connell and the Vikings did, which is why his odds to be Coach of the Year remain so long.

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Dan Quinn, Commanders (+5000) at FanDuel

Quinn is another coach who deserves to be in the conversation for Coach of the Year. Just like Payton, he managed to make the playoffs with a winning record. The Commanders also had a modest over/under win total of just 6.5 wins heading into the season. Washington finished the season at 12-5, including five straight wins to close out the regular season. If not for a three-game losing streak in November, the Commanders may have had a chance to win the NFC East. That stretch also caused Quinn to lose ground behind O’Connell and Campbell in the Coach of the Year race. Yet, he’s surely going to get plenty of votes in this race.

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Who Will Win Coach of the Year - My Pick

Dan Campbell, (+430) at FanDuel

We’ll concede that O’Connell is likely to win Coach of the Year. But he lacks value at -750, so Campbell remains our best betting option at +430. If the race comes down to O’Connell and Campbell, some voters may think it’s odd to choose O’Connell over Campbell after the Lions beat the Vikings twice during the season. Detroit’s blowout of Minnesota in Week 18 could also sway some voters to favor Campbell. On the off chance that happens, it’s worth taking a flyer on Campbell to win Coach of the Year.

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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 sportsbooks. Sportsbooks often have different odds, different promos, and different features. It’s usually best to shop around at different sportsbooks before making your choice.

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