Jim Harbaugh, Matt Eberflus Have Shortest Odds to Win Coach of the Year

Highlights

Matt Eberflus and Jim Harbaugh are the top Coach of the Year contenders at +900 odds.
The Bears have strengthened the roster with a new QB, top WR, RB, & TE for Eberflus.
Harbaugh brings his coaching style to the Chargers, retaining key players and adding talent.

One of the more difficult things for oddsmakers to project before the season is who will win the NFL’s Coach of the Year Award. That’s normally because the team led by the Coach of the Year overperformed their expectations. Still, the prediction is made, and the current favorites for the award are the Chicago Bears’ Matt Eberflus and the Los Angeles Chargers’ Jim Harbaugh.

According to odds from Monkey Tilt Odds, Eberflus and Harbaugh are both +900 to win the Coach of the Year Award. Rounding out the top five are Raheem Morris from the Atlanta Falcons (+1000), the Green Bay Packers’ Matt LaFleur (+1100), and the Houston Texans’ DeMeco Ryans (+1100).

The Chicago Bears Are in Prime Position to Achieve a Rare NFL Feat in 2024

It’s rare for the team with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft to make the playoffs, but the Chicago Bears are in position to do so.

The Bears are Providing Eberflus With a Strong Roster

Harbaugh will bring his own style to Los Angeles

Chicago Bears' head coach Matt Eberflus — Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Eberflus took the Bears’ head coaching job in 2022, and the results have not been very good, as he has finished with a 10-24 record in his first two seasons. Chicago had the opportunity to fire the former defensive coordinator but decided to bring him back for one more year in 2024.

The offseason has been kind to Eberflus. The Bears added not only a new franchise quarterback in Caleb Williams but also a top-10 wide receiver in Rome Odunze. They also added wide receiver Keenan Allen, running back D’Andre Swift, and tight end Gerald Everett via free agency and a trade. Things are looking up in Chicago.

Unlike the Bears, the Chargers have lost several key players in the aforementioned Allen and Everett, wide receiver Mike Williams and running back Austin Ekeler. What the Chargers did add, though, is Harbaugh, one of the most well-regarded coaches in the sport of football.

The Chargers also retained many talented players, starting with franchise quarterback Justin Herbert. Los Angeles also added new talent through the draft in tackle JC Latham, wide receiver Ladd McConkey, and running back Kimani Vidal.

Harbaugh also signed some players who are his kind of guys: running back Gus Edwards, center Bradley Bozeman, and defensive tackle Poona Ford. It would be no surprise to see Harbaugh turn things around fast in Los Angeles.

Source: Dov Kleiman

All statistics are courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless otherwise noted.