No NFL team will be able to sustain success without competency at the head coach spot. There is typically around five head coach openings per cycle, so the turnover is quite frequent. This year, both Brian Daboll and Brian Callahan were in-season firings, and there could be more after the regular season is over.
We have seen NFL teams constantly whiff on the head coach, like the Las Vegas Raiders, but other teams have been able to find the right guy for the job, and top head coaches truly come in all different forms.
Now that the regular season is winding down, we can take a look at the top Coach of the Year candidates. Let's power rank them approaching a crucial Week 16.
Ranking the top Coach of the Year candidates approaching Week 16 action
5. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers have kind of gone under the radar a bit, as the 11-3 Seahawks and Rams have gotten most of the attention in the NFC West. However, Shanahan is again dealing with a ton of key player injuries and didn't have his starting QB for much of the season.
Despite all the injury chaos they have dealt with, San Fran is still 10-4 and very much alive in the NFC West race. It would probably have to take a division title for Shanahan to win this award, but the Niners are really maxed out with their roster, and it's thanks to the top-tier coaching job from Shanahan.
4. Liam Coen, Jacksonville Jaguars
Liam Coen has his Jacksonville Jaguars' team in first-place in the AFC South with a strong 10-4 record. The Jags are alive for that no. 1 seed in the playoffs as well, and we're beginning to see QB Trevor Lawrence heat up. This has been an outstanding job by Coen in year one, and it's clear that he is going to be a very good head coach in this league for a long time. He is a top candidate for the COTY award in 2025.