NFL Coach of the Year isn’t one of the most popular awards in the National Football League. However, winning the honor is an important accomplishment for an NFL head coach and the field heading into the 2023 season is fairly stacked.
Winning Coach of the Year honors doesn’t necessarily mean the recipient is the best NFL head coach. While New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has earned the honor three times, he last won it in 2010. Furthermore, the recipients of the recognition in 2016 (Jason Garrett) and 2018 (Matt Nagy) were fired less than three years after being named NFL Coach of the Year. However, it’s still a meaningful honor.
Let’s dive into the 2023 NFL Coach of the Year race after Week 3.
Further below, you can find the latest NFL Coach of the Year odds and past Coach of the Year winners.
NFL Coach of the Year race: Evaluating 2023 COY candidates
| Rank | Coach | Record |
| 1 | Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins | 3-0 |
| 2 | Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers | 2-1 |
| 3 | Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams | 1-1 |
| 4 | Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions | 2-1 |
| 5 | Arthur Smith, Atlanta Falcons | 2-1 |
- Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins – The Miami Dolphins look like the best team in the NFL right now and Tua Tagovailoa is the leader for NFL MVP. Offensive weapons help a lot, but McDaniels is proving that his prowess as a game-planner and play-caller is second to none. If Miami is the AFC’s No. 1 seed in 2023, McDaniels wins NFL Coach of the Year
- Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers – Coaching an offense without four starters, Matt LaFleur played an instrumental role in the Green Bay Packers’ 18-point comeback in the fourth quarter to beat New Orleans. While a tough schedule is looming for Green Bay, a few big wins could help LaFleur gain some early favorite in the NFL COY race.
- Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams – While Los Angeles lost in Week 2, Sean McVay’s team played better than anticipated once again. The Los Angeles Rams don’t have enough talent to compete for a playoff spot, but they could win a surprising number of games moving forward. If they hit eight wins and Matt Stafford plays at an elite level, McVay will get COY votes.
- Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions – Even with injuries on both sides of the ball, Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions came out with a two-score victory in Week 3. Detroit is one paly away from being 3-0 and even the 2-1 record heading into Thursday’s matchup versus Green Bay is a positive start.
- Arthur Smith, Atlanta Falcons – Arthur Smith has certainly proved this season that he shouldn’t be fired, but it also seems fairly apparent his offense will be limited by Desmond Ridder. If not for the Falcons’ light schedule, Smith probably isn’t a COY candidate.
Related: NFL coaching hot seat
NFL Coach of the Year odds 2023
Here are the latest NFL Coach of the Year odds entering Week 1, via BetMGM. We’ll update the NFL COY odds every two weeks.
- Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions – +800
- Sean Payton, Denver Broncos – +1100
- Matt Eberflus, Chicago Bears – +1400
- Arthur Smith, Atlanta Falcons – +1400
- Robert Saleh, New York Jets – +1600
- Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers – +1600
- Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks – +2000
- Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins – +2000
- Doug Pederson, Jaguars – +2000
- Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers – +2000
Related: 2023 fantasy football rankings
Who is favored to win Coach of the Year NFL?
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell is favored (+800) to win NFL Coach of the Year in 2023. Behind him is Sean Payton, Matt Eberflus, Arthur Smith, Robert Saleh and Matt Lafleur.
NFL Coach of the Year winners
- 2022: Brian Daboll, New York Giants – 9-7-1
- 2021: Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans – 12-5
- 2020: Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns – 11-5
- 2019: John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens – 14-2
- 2018: Matt Nagy, Chicago Bears – 12-4
- 2017: Sean McVay, Los Angeles rams – 11-5
- 2016: Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys – 13-3
- 2015: Ron Rivera, Carolina Panthers – 15-1
Related: NFL defense rankings
Who just won NFL Coach of the year 2022?
New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll won NFL Coach of the Year in 2022. In his first season as head coach, Daboll led the Giants to their first playoff appearance since 2016.
Who votes on NFL Coach of the Year?
The Associated Press votes on the NFL Coach of the Year at the end of each regular season. There are 50 total voters, with a point system and first-place votes awarded. The winners is then announced at the annual NFL Honors show right before the Super Bowl.
What is NFL Coach of the Year based on?
Voting for NFL Coach of the Year is based on a variety of factors, including win-loss record and how a team performed versus preseason expectations. The award is rarely given out to the best head coach in the NFL. Instead, the head coach of a team who breaks out or makes the playoffs when they weren’t expected to typically wins Coach of the Year.
Who won back to back Coach of the Year in the NFL?
Allie Sherman (1961-’62), Don Shula (1967-’68), Jack Pardee (1978-’79) and Joe Gibbs (1982-’83) have won NFL Coach of the Year in back-to-back seasons. However, no one has accomplished it in the last 40 years.
