NFL Coach of the Year Candidates

Written by: Matt Quinn

With the end of the regular season fast-approaching, teams have either been getting ready for the late-season playoff push, or their beginning their plans for the offseason. With several head coaching vacancies surely coming at the end of the year, I thought we’d take a look at some of the coaches who are in no danger of being fired. On the contrary, these are the coaches that have set the bar high for success this season. Only one coach can win Coach of the Year and this year, we’ve got some strong candidates.

5th Place- Mike Tomlin- Pittsburgh Steelers

About a week or so ago, I would have had Tomlin close to the top of this list, if not in first place. After a bad week 12 loss to the Browns and several questionable coaching decisions in that loss, however, he has fallen down several spots. This shouldn’t take away from all of the good he has done this year though. The fact that the Steelers are sitting at 8-3 atop the AFC North is pretty insane. They have dealt with trying to implement a brand new offensive system with an entirely new QB room and playing two different QBs in Justin Fields and finally Russell Wilson the past 5 games. The defense is top half of the league and Tomlin has done a great job navigating this unorthodox season. The issue with Tomlin is how often when a game comes down to a few plays or so, he seems to be lost when it comes to clock management and managing certain situations.

4th Place- Jim Harbaugh- Los Angeles Chargers

Coach Harbaugh’s second NFL head coaching stint is a little too early in its life to properly compare it to when Jim took the 49ers to the Super Bowl, but Jim Harbaugh has done a great job so far in LA. Taking hold of a team that is seemingly always a fun pick to make some noise only to have them crash out and not live up to expectations, he has guided them to a solid 7-4 record. The Chargers, unlike recent iterations of this team, play a physical brand of football, with a solid running game and good defense. Much like his time at Michigan, the team has a certain toughness that comes with most Harbaugh teams. The Chargers may not be at contender status right now, but another year or so of building that team in his image, and they could morph into a real problem for the AFC.

3rd Place- Kevin O’Connell- Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings were not expected to do too much this season coming into the year. Yes they had a solid defense, but bringing in a rookie QB to lead the team, there were always going to be growing pains. Fast forward to Week 12, and rookie QB J.J. McCarthy has yet to see the field due to a season ending injury in the preseason and the Vikings have been guided to a 9-2 record by an unpredictably fantastic Sam Darnold. Credit must be given to Kevin O’Connell for being able to navigate an extremely difficult situation and turning it into a winning brand of football. It also doesn’t hurt when you have Justin Jefferson at your disposal too.

2nd Place- Sean McDermott- Buffalo Bills

Much has been said, and rightfully so, about the level that QB Josh Allen is playing at. He’s on several shortlists of potential NFL MVP. In a year when alot of people, admittedly myself included, thought the Bills would take a step back due to the significant losses on both sides of the ball, namely WR Stefon Diggs being traded to Houston, the Bills have done the exact opposite. They look like a much more complete team than they did last year and they just had an impressive win against the Chiefs a couple weeks ago. Coach Sean McDermott has done a great job helping the team block out those whispers of doubt and truly play to their potential. It’s all about the playoffs for the Bills though, as with their recent disappointments in recent seasons, they really need to conquer those demons if they’re ever going to become champions.

1st Place- Dan Campbell- Detroit Lions

I mean, did you think it would be anyone else? The Lions have absolutely cruised to a 10-1 record, absolutely boat racing just about every team they’ve played. They had an early season loss to Tampa Bay, but since then, it’s been utter dominance. Dan Campbell is at the center of everything. Building a strong coaching staff, including Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson, who has crafted a nearly unstoppable offense. But it’s Dan Campbell who all of these guys want to run through a wall for. They are the clear front runner for the NFC’s Super Bowl representative this year and anything short of that will be a massive disappointment. 

So there you have it, Dan Campbell is my current Coach of the Year. Some honorable mentions I would put in would be, John Harbaugh of the Ravens, Andy Reid of the Chiefs, Mike McDonald of the Seahawks. Each one of those guys have done a great job this year with their respective teams but it’s Dan Campbell that stands alone here in Week 13.