Mark Andrews gushes over Ravens new head coach Jesse Minter
Mark Andrews shares why he’s impressed with new Ravens HC Jesse Minter and what he’s already bringing to Baltimore ahead of the 2026 season.
The most important position in football might be one that never actually plays in the game.
Head coach.
And in the modern NFL, that makes all the difference. The Rams’ Sean McVay and 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan are credited with consistently extracting every ounce out of their players to build a winning program. Look no further than Ben Johnson in his first season with the Bears.
Caleb Williams was sacked a league-high 68 times in 2024. He sliced that number to 24 in 2025, engineering the Bears’ best season in years.
Before being traded to the Los Angeles Rams, Matthew Stafford was a good quarterback on a bad team. Now he’s the reigning league MVP. And without Shanahan, is Brock Purdy a household name or just another entrant onto the Mr. Irrelevant list?
Of course, players deserve credit for what they do on the field, but they don’t do it alone. Let’s not forget the coaches who helped put them in these spots.
Here’s a look at the leading candidates for coach of the year in 2026, according to the betting odds.
NFL Coach of the Year award odds 2026
Odds via BetMGM Sportsbook as of Sunday, Aug. 2:
1. John Harbaugh, New York Giants (+600)
Harbaugh is the leader in the clubhouse for COY, which should come as no surprise. The Super Bowl-winning coach brings plenty of credibility to an organization in need of that. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Harbaugh is taking over the Giants – who play in the largest media market and will receive no shortage of attention. For better or worse, all eyes are on the G-Men as they try to return to the playoffs for just the third time since winning Super Bowl 46. If the upstart Giants manage to capture their first division title since that triumph, this is Harbaugh’s award to lose.
2. Jesse Minter, Baltimore Ravens (+750)
Minter, a Harbaugh disciple, takes over in Baltimore and hopes to be the change agent that gets the Ravens over the playoff hump. The Ravens didn’t exactly load up with big roster changes this offseason, but a new voice might be enough to get the job done.
3. Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills (+1100)
Brady enters the year with the third-best odds to take home the COY honors, but he’s also the one with arguably the most pressure to deliver. The rookie coach took over for Sean McDermott after an unceremonious firing. It came on the heels of a coaching search that ended with Brady’s promotion from offensive coordinator. Between an unconventional search and a new stadium littered with personal seat license drama, Brady has one chance to get it right in a make-or-break year for Buffalo.
T-4. Robert Saleh, Tennessee Titans (+1200)
Saleh found a seat at the head coaching table after being just one year removed from his post with the Jets. The game of musical chairs is giving the defensive-minded coach a second – and likely final – chance to get it right. The Titans spent a fortune this offseason to fix the roster and rebuild it in Saleh’s image. Much like his years with the Jets, this coach’s success hinges on whether he can develop a young quarterback.
T-4. Kellen Moore, New Orleans Saints (+1200)
What a difference a year makes. The Saints entered Moore’s rookie season without much to look forward to after drafting an older quarterback in the second round. Coupled with salary cap troubles, New Orleans figured to remain in NFL purgatory. Moore’s Saints ended up being a frisky bunch that showed potential – the franchise’s first signs of life in the post-Drew Brees era. They enter 2026 believing they can contend for the NFC South with a possible franchise quarterback in Tyler Shough.
6. Mike McCarthy, Pittsburgh Steelers (+1400)
McCarthy can play the nostalgia card when making his case for COY, but Pittsburgh might be the worst place in the league to try that. Yes, he’s back with Aaron Rodgers. Yes, it’s a homecoming for McCarthy – who grew up in Pittsburgh. However, he’s also replacing Mike Tomlin, who had an unprecedented run of success in the Steel City. It would take something really magical for the new Steelers coach to earn some consideration.
7. Kevin Stefanski, Atlanta Falcons (+1500)
The narrative around Stefanski is that he’s a good coach who hasn’t received good quarterback play. Fortunately for him, the offense is loaded in Atlanta with some premier talent like Bijan Robinson. Unfortunately for him, quarterback remains a question with Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa. Even worse, Atlanta’s defense isn’t on the same level as Cleveland’s. A two-time coach of the year, the Falcons’ new head man has an uphill battle.
T-8. Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas Cowboys (+1600)
No one had Schottenheimer on the head coaching radar before Jerry Jones decided he was the right fit to lead the Cowboys after parting ways with McCarthy. A 7-9-1 season doesn’t scream “Super Bowl contender,” but let’s remember what Schottenheimer did accomplish. He got career years out of George Pickens and Javonte Williams, keeping Dallas among the league’s best offenses. That was in the aftermath of trading away Micah Parsons, creating arguably the league’s worst defense. The Cowboys have since rebuilt that unit and are positioned to make some noise if all those pieces gel. He’s a sneaky candidate if things go right.
T-8. Klint Kubiak, Las Vegas Raiders (+1600)
Kubiak comes from a family of coaches and is fresh off winning a Super Bowl as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator. And that was after Seattle parted with Geno Smith and DK Metcalf ahead of the season. Kubiak was left with a potential one-year wonder in Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba as his WR1. With nonexistent expectations, he transformed JSN into the offensive player of the year and Darnold into a champion. Now Kubiak can make his own mark by reviving the Raiders, who have a new QB1 in Fernando Mendoza. If the Raiders even sniff a playoff spot in a loaded AFC West, then the rookie head coach has a strong case.
10. Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions (+2000)
It was a season to forget for Campbell’s Lions, marked by injuries and an adjustment period after losing two coordinators last offseason. Campbell eventually took over the play-calling on offense, putting pressure on him to nail that hire this time around. Drew Petzing is tasked with getting Detroit’s offense back to where it was under Ben Johnson. Whether the Lions’ window to contend has closed or not is up for debate, but Campbell is entering a big season ahead. It’s hard to see a path for Campbell to win the award without a dominant campaign from start to finish, however.