Since 1957, the Associated Press has presented the Coach of the Year award to an NFL coach who has had an outstanding season. What constitutes an outstanding season is a broad definition and does not by default mean winning the Super Bowl. Most of the time, however, the winner is a coach of a team that outperformed expectations.
This subjectivity makes picking a NFL player prop bets for Coach of the Year a tricky proposition. The best clues are to follow the media narratives and sportsbooks’ odds. We are going to examine the top favorites before the start of the 2023-24 season.
Dan Campbell Is Excited for the New Challenge (+850)
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell was the target of many jokes following his introductory press conference in the 2021 season. After promising that his players will bite kneecaps, nobody believed he could survive his first season as head coach. Now Campbell is at the doorstep of his third season at the helm of the Lions, and nobody is laughing.
Most analysts see the Lions as a playoff-bound team with a high probability of clinching the NFC North division. Dan can rally his young and talented team, and this was evident from last year's 9-8 record. After a dismal 1-6 start, the Lions went on a winning spree claiming 8 wins in their final 10 games of the season. The NFL is also picking up on the emerging team and set the 2023-24 season opener as a showdown between the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions.
"Certainly we're beginning to get noticed. We get Kansas City, the heavyweight champ. So, we’re excited. I think everybody wants the opportunity to play the champ, and to see where you stack up," said Dan after the release of the upcoming season's schedule. Sportsbooks give Campbell +850 odds to win the Coach of the Year award.
Sean Payton Thinks Discipline Is the Key (+900)
It's up for debate if Sean Payton deserted the New Orleans Saints or took a year off. Yet, the fact is that the offensive guru and 2009 Super Bowl winner is back in the NFL. Payton chose the Denver Broncos as his new team, and the Bronco's disappointing 2022-23 season creates a lot of room for improvement, positioning Payton in the Coach of the Year conversation.
Bookmakers allocate +900 odds to Sean, and if he can reinvigorate quarterback Russell Wilson, the award might land in his hands. Payton is one of the most successful coaches in the league, making the playoffs in 9 out of his 15 seasons as head coach. Payton already identified penalties as the reason for last year's poor performance.
“The message is we have to understand what we are trying to accomplish as a team. We also have to be able to understand, discipline-wise, how to get to the edge, but not cross the line,” said Payton during the minicamp.
Matt Eberflus Possess Valuable Coaching Experience (+1100)
Eberflus is in a good position to exceed expectations, considering his team can't go any lower after finishing the 2022-23 season as the 32- ranked team in the league. The consolation prize was the first pick in the draft, which they traded away for more draft capital and a wide receiver in D.J. Moore.
Eberflus is helming a losing franchise with a talented but raw quarterback in Justin Fields. However, Matt possesses 30 years of coaching experience, and despite bad results, the Bear's games last year were not one-sided. The team most certainly had flashes of brilliance. The odds of Eberflus winning the Coach of the Year award are +1100, and if they can’t fight for a Super Bowl, the Windy City can at least win another prestigious award.
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