8. Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills
Sean McDermott is a very good head coach, but I am not sure he'll ever be an elite head coach, and if the Buffalo Bills have yet another playoff heartbreak and do not make the Super Bowl, I could see a scenario where McDermott is shown the door.
The Bills play the Denver Broncos in the Wild Card Round, and I am not sure the Bills won't be in a close game. We'll see if McDermott can take the next step as a head coach and make some tangible progress in the postseason.
7. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams
Sean McVay again coached his tail off, and he was able to help dig the Los Angeles Rams out of a 1-4 start. Heck, they even rested some starters in Week 18 because they had already clinched a playoff spot. One team I would hate to see in the playoffs, McVay and the Rams simply know how to win big football games.
He won't win Coach of the Year, but there may not be a more well-rounded head coach in the NFL than Sean McVay.
6. Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers did have a lot in place for Jim Harbaugh, but this team won five games in 2023 and won 11 games in 2024. Harbaugh enjoys success wherever he goes to be a head coach, and the LA Chargers are no exception. The Bolts will add some offensive talent this offseason and could rise into the contender status.
5. Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
So many people wrote off Sean Payton, Bo Nix, and the Denver Broncos. Heck I saw some predictions that had this team winning three games in 2024!
Winning 10 and making the playoffs for the first time since 2015, it's abundantly clear that the Broncos and Payton are on the right track one again, and Bo Nix could end up being an elite QB one day. He threw the fifth-most touchdown passes in the NFL this year with 29.
4. Dan Quinn, Washington Commanders
Dan Quinn and the Washington Commanders messed around this year with a rookie QB and won 12 games. They'll play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the NFL playoffs. While they are a year early and won't make a deep playoff run, Quinn and the rest of his staff coached their tails off this year, period.
In his second head coaching stop, Quinn seems to have something special brewing. He'll get a ton of votes for Coach of the Year.
3. Kevin O'Connell, Minnesota Vikings
When the Minnesota Vikings had to turn to Sam Darnold as their starting QB, I bet most people thought they would win six, maybe seven games in 2024. How about 14? In contention for the no. 1 seed until their Week 18 loss, the Vikings might not make a deep playoff run this year, but we have to acknowledge just how good of a head coach O'Connell is. The Vikes drafted JJ McCarthy in 2024, so his long-term future in the NFL is probably very bright given he'll have some stellar coaching to learn from.
2. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs just know how to win games. They went 15-2 in 2024 and earned the top seed in the AFC. Yes, they did rest starters in Week 18, but the Chiefs proved to be the best late-game team in the NFL this year. That does go a long way even if they were not winning games decisively.
The Chiefs are probably again headed to the Super Bowl, which could be annoying depending on who you ask. Reid wraps up yet another high-quality coaching job in the NFL.
1. Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions earned the no. 1 seed in the NFC this year with a 15-2 record and some brutal injuries on the defensive side of the ball. However, despite all those injuries, the Lions kept winning games, and it just goes to show just how strong of a culture Dan Campbell built. I am sure he rubs people the wrong way sometimes with his strong personality, but it's working.
The Lions earning this bye could also give them enough time to get a couple of other players back from injury. It would be hard to not give the Coach of the Year to Dan Campbell.