Top NFL Pick: NFL 2024/25 Coach of the Year – Jim Harbaugh (+750) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
The NFL coaching carousel is always spinning these days with 8 new hires for the 2024 season alone. Some bring hope like the return of Jim Harbaugh to the NFL with the Chargers, and some make you wonder was that really the best move, like giving Dan Quinn another chance in Washington.
We have ranked the top 3 new coaching hires we actually like and are excited about. In fact, we have a futures bet associated with each of these teams as well.
Most top-rated sportsbooks do not have NFL futures bets available outside of the Super Bowl LIX odds and some awards like MVP and Coach of the Year. While we have included a futures bet for each coach’s team, please be advised that the NFL odds may vary or not be an available market yet. Keep an eye on your favorite sportsbooks for these bets to appear soon.
3. Dave Canales – Carolina Panthers
He may have shot up the ranks quickly but Dave Canales is the kind of offensive-minded coaching hire that makes sense for a team with a young quarterback.
Offense was definitely the big problem in Carolina last year as Bryce Young struggled as a rookie, which isn’t uncommon for the No. 1 overall pick going to a bad team that traded away his best receiver (D.J. Moore) to get him. The Panthers had Adam Thielen and little else to give Young last year.
The offensive line was also poor in run blocking and couldn’t run adequately most weeks. While Young no doubt struggled, just look at the rookie seasons for No. 1 picks like Terry Bradshaw, Troy Aikman, John Elway, Eli Manning and Jared Goff. Not all hope is lost here as at least Young played well against Houston and Green Bay.
Coaching Chronicles
Canales is here because of his work over the last 2 seasons, getting the best out of Geno Smith in Seattle (2022) and last year as the offensive coordinator for Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers won the division and a playoff game with Mayfield having a career year.
Canales coached many years under Pete Carroll in Seattle, and he helped those wide receivers turn into an efficient group despite not having many high picks there prior to D.K. Metcalf’s arrival. He obviously had it made last year with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin good to go in Tampa, but he also had to work around some offensive line and running game issues to get Mayfield playing well in that system.
There is hope that if the Panthers can restock the skill players in free agency and the draft, Young will be able to do much more in this offense after seeing his head coach get fired early last season in a mess of a year.
With the wide receiver being a specialty position in Canales’ coaching history, hopefully, he will do a good job of fixing that position for Young and the Panthers.
The Future Outlook
It is not that uncommon in the NFL to see a team go from last or near last in the division to winning it the next year. In fact, some of the more recent examples of this involved a significant change in coach or quarterback (or both):
- 2022-23 Texans: From 4th to 1st with rookie coach DeMeco Ryans and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.
- 2017-18 Bears: From 4th to 1st with rookie coach Matt Nagy improving 2nd-year quarterback Mitch Trubisky.
- 2016-17 Rams: From 3rd (4-12 record) to 1st with rookie coach Sean McVay improving 2nd-year quarterback Jared Goff.
When 9-8 is usually enough to win the NFC South, you feel better about Carolina’s chances for a quick rebound given a good offseason haul of talent. Also, the lack of trust in teams led by Baker Mayfield (losing Canales as a coordinator and possibly Mike Evans at wideout) and Derek Carr (another new offensive coordinator) helps. The Falcons don’t have a quarterback yet either.
Not saying it’s my favorite pick out there, but it could be good value to go in early on Carolina being the latest team to turn things around with a 2nd-year quarterback, who was a No. 1 overall pick, making the leap under the right offensive coach to get the best out of him.
NFL Pick: 2024 NFC South Winner – Carolina Panthers (+800) at BetOnline
2. Mike Macdonald – Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks cut their coach’s age in half by going for the 36-year-old Mike Macdonald, who has an impressive achievement on his resume from Baltimore. The 2023 Ravens just became the only defense since the 1970 merger to lead the NFL in points allowed, sacks and takeaways.
It was certainly not the defense that disappointed in Baltimore’s 17-10 loss to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. Now, he gets to spread his wings in Seattle in replacing Carroll, who was a defensive legend in his own right, but his Seahawks have not surpassed mediocrity on defense for several seasons now.
The Seahawks drafted a very good corner in Devon Witherspoon last year, so that gives Macdonald something to work with in the secondary. They may need to beef up the pass rush, though the Ravens achieved their success with Justin Madubuike coming out of nowhere to notch 13.0 sacks in his 4th season to lead the team. So, it’s not like the Ravens needed an elite edge rusher like Micah Parsons, T.J. Watt, or Myles Garrett to have so much success.
The good news is the Seahawks have a lot of offensive pieces in place, so Macdonald can approach this season by putting a huge emphasis on finding new defenders in the draft and free agency to shape the Seahawks his way.
The Future Outlook
Look, the Seahawks turned in a similar season each of the last 2 years. Sometimes, 9-8 is enough to make the playoffs and sometimes it won’t be like last year. Still, in both seasons, the Seahawks allowed 401 and 402 points. The difference last year was the offense regressed a little in scoring and Geno Smith wasn’t as sharp as he was in 2022.
You have to think Macdonald will make his presence felt on the defense and see some improvement on that side of the ball. Even a jump up to mediocrity like the 12-to-18 range would be a good thing for this team.
Yet, the advantage here is that he has a quarterback the team knows it can win games with. Smith actually had 5 game-winning drives last year to help the team finish 9-8 again. If you give him a better defense, maybe he has less need for close-game heroics, and the Seahawks can more comfortably win 10 games and be firmly in the tournament again. The 49ers, the NFC West winners, could even take a step back after their latest playoff disappointment.
There is a lot to still happen between now and September but giving a talented offense – wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba should be better in his 2nd season – more defensive support sounds like a good way for this team to get better after losing a very good head coach.
We’ll pick the Seahawks to make it back to the playoffs under Macdonald.
NFL Pick: Team to Make Playoffs – Seattle Seahawks (TBD)
Jim Harbaugh – Los Angeles Chargers
A decade after leaving the NFL for the college game, Jim Harbaugh is back and he’s in a very intriguing position with the Los Angeles Chargers.
This is the team that is seemingly cursed to be stuck in a 1-score game every Sunday afternoon, losing many of them in inexplicable fashion. They can change cities, coaches, quarterbacks and nothing seems to change.
However, Harbaugh is going to have his shot to rebrand Chargering and challenge the Kansas City Chiefs, who have won the AFC West 8 years in a row with Patrick Mahomes winning it the last 6 years for his team.
That is the biggest challenge, but Harbaugh also has to get this team playing good defense, something quarterback Justin Herbert has yet to have on his side in his 4 years. He was injured late in 2023, but he otherwise has been a rock and durable for the team. He’s also a prolific passer and the best natural thrower that offensive coordinator Greg Roman has ever had.
That’s right, Harbaugh is bringing his old OC back with him to the Chargers.
Roman was there in San Francisco in 2011-14 when the team finally got the adequate play out of Alex Smith, then looked even better with Colin Kaepernick. Herbert could have a better running game, but they’ll also want to make sure he is maximizing his throws and having the most efficient passing season of his career.
Defensive Dynamo
Defensively, Harbaugh has also brought his Michigan coordinator Jesse Minter with him, fresh off a year they won the national championship and had the No. 1 scoring defense in the nation. That’s another good hire by Harbaugh in building up this staff, which should coach circles around what Brandon Staley did in his time with the team.
Does Harbaugh have some brilliant ideas for the strength and conditioning coach? Injuries are so often an issue for the Chargers. Joey Bosa is often hurt. The same can be said for Keenan Allen and Mike Williams at wide receiver. The team is going to have to stay healthy for a change, and this is not going to be as easy to fly under the radar in 2011 when Harbaugh took the San Francisco job.
Expectations will be higher this time.
Still, he has won everywhere he’s gone, and even if the Chargers were bringing Staley back, they would be a great pick for positive regression after going 1-10 in game-winning drive opportunities last year. This team has been close but Harbaugh needs to help them over the finish line and get back to competing for the Super Bowl.
The Future Outlook
One does not need to win the division to win Coach of the Year. Cleveland’s Kevin Stefanski is proof of that, twice now (2020 and 2023), and the same can be said of Brian Daboll (Giants) in 2022.
However, what if the Chargers did end Kansas City’s reign in the AFC West and win the division? Harbaugh would be an absolute lock for Coach of the Year. He already won it in 2011, his first year with San Francisco when the team finished 13-3.
The Chargers are not as loaded with top-tier talents like those 49ers were, but Herbert is the key piece here. That instantly gives Harbaugh someone credible at the most important position, and Herbert has just been dying for a good defense that will hold onto leads and help him win more games to get to the playoffs.
Harbaugh is not coming here to do this on his own by any means. He has his coordinators that he’s won with before, he has a top 5-caliber quarterback in Herbert, but he does have that tough task of overcoming Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Still, as long as the Chargers get to 10-plus wins and make the playoffs, Harbaugh is a great choice for Coach of the Year. He is the current betting favorite for it, and he would absolutely be my choice for your NFL picks.
If this goes well early, those odds are only going to get less valuable.
NFL Pick: NFL 2024/25 Coach of the Year – Jim Harbaugh (+750) at BetOnline
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
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