Who will Win NFL Coach of the Year 2025-26?
Who will Win NFL Coach of the Year 2025-26?
There are numerous end-of-season awards handed out in the NFL, and one of the most sought-after accolades is Coach of the Year. It is awarded to the head coach who is deemed to have done the most outstanding job, considering the circumstances. It may be handed to overachieving coaches or to those who have overcome difficult circumstances to turn things around.
The most widely recognised award is handed out by the Associated Press (AP), and this was first presented in 1957, with the Detroit Lions’ George Wilson being the first coach to pick up this prestigious honour.
The betting odds of 5.5 are predicting a 18.18% chance that Mike Vrabel will win the 2025-26 NFL Coach of the Year ::: Discover the current Odds now HERE
2024-25 NFL Coach of the Year
Although the season may not have ended in success, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell was able to celebrate after he was awarded the 2024-25 Coach of the Year. He saw off three rivals with the Lion’s Dan Campbell also amongst the contenders. He guided the Minnesota franchise to a 14-3 record during the regular season and his side were in contention for the No.1 overall seed in the NFC for the majority of the season.
O’Connell also overcame adversity when he lost first-round QB J.J McCarthy to injury in pre-season, however Sam Darnold stepped up admirably and guided the team to the wild-card round of the post-season.
LEADERBOARD
Odds and Predictions on 2025-2026 NFL Coach of the Year Winner
| # | Bet Options | Chance to Win | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied Projected Winner Mike Vrabel | 20% | ||
| Implied Projected Winner Ben Johnson | 12.5% | ||
| Implied Projected Winner Dave Canales | 11.76% |
Earlier in 2025, the Vikings announced that they have triggered a contract extension with O’Connell and he will undoubtedly be amongst the contenders for the 2025-26 award.
Previous Winners
Prior to O’Connell, the award had been given to Browns coach Kevin Stefanski, who oversaw a 11-6 record during the regular season despite suffering a crippling number of injuries, including starting QB DeShaun Watson. It was the second time that Stefanski had received the award, having been the recipient in 2020, joining a select group of coaches who have been victorious on number occasions.
Other recent winners including Brian Daboll, Mike Vrabel and John Harbaugh, who guided the Baltimore Ravens to an unbelievable 14-2 record in 2019.
Coaches who have received this award on multiple occasions include Ron Rivera, Bruce Arians, and Bill Belichick, who has been successful three times with his last triumph coming in 2010 when in charge of the Patriots.
2025-26 Contenders
The vastly experienced Mike Vrabel has been priced up as one of the favourites upon his return to the NFL. He is widely viewed as one of the best in-game coaches and will be hoping to pick up his second award. He takes charge of the Patriots and will be tasked with re-shaping their roster during the off-season. They’ve been handed a relatively kind schedule and if he can guide the Patriots to success, he can put himself in contention for this accolade.
Compared to Vrabel, Ben Johnson is a bit of a rookie head coach, however, he is highly-regarded and is likely to make an impression in Detroit. The former offensive co-ordinator should be good for the development of QB Caleb Williams and he is expected to improve the Bears’ attacking output and make them far more entertaining. New coaches overseeing reclamation projects are always popular winners of this award and Johnson fits the bill.
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Dave Canales heads into his second year as head coach of the Carolina Panthers and appears to have made positive strides when it comes to improving players and performances. QB Bryce Young struggled during the first half of the season, however, there were signs of life in the final few games and if he can take that form into the 2025-26 campaign, then Canales will be be a candidate come the end of the campaign.
Aaron Glenn and Sean Payton are other potential candidates for the 2025-26 award with the latter guiding the Bronco’s to a surprisingly positive 10-7 record in 2024. Aaron Glenn is the newly appointed coach of the Jets and was nominated for Assistant Coach of the Year as the defensive co-ordinator of the Lions in 2024.
If you believe that Ben Johnson will win NFL Coach of the Year 2025-26, you could win €750 by betting €100 with Megapari if it happens.Â
