The 2024 NFL Coach of the Year race has been one of the better races in recent memory. Multiple worthy candidates exist, from Mike Tomlin to Kevin O’Connell and Dan Quinn. Each coach would be deserving of this award, but it seems O’Connell is heading into week 17 with a slight lead. Here are the five best Coach of the Year candidates
Ranking the 5 best NFL Coach of the Year Candidates in 2024
Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota Vikings (13-2)
The Minnesota Vikings have been one of the biggest surprises of the 2024 NFL season. The team came into the season with an over-under win total of 6.5, and they doubled the wins they were projected to have before the season started. O’Connell has been the driving force for the Vikings as the head man in charge. In three seasons as the Vikings head coach, he has two 13-win seasons.
With Sam Darnold as his quarterback, O’Connell and the Vikings have spearheaded expectations, and as of week 17, they are in play for the top seed in the NFC playoffs. Darnold has been a bonafide MVP candidate under O’Connell’s direction. Darnold is sixth in passing yards with 3,776, fifth in touchdown passes with 32, and 13th overall in quarterback rating.
The former Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator turned Vikings also has arguably the best defensive coordinator in the league Brian Flores, to battle with. O’Connell hired Flores last season, and it has paid dividends, as the Vikings have forced the most turnovers in the league.
Dan Quinn, Washington Commanders (10-5)
When you get second chance opportunities in life, you have to make the best of it, and that’s certainly what Quinn has done as the head coach of the Washington Commanders. After being fired by the Atlanta Falcons in his first stint as a head coach, which included a Super Bowl appearance Quinn has made the most of his second opportunity in Washington, D.C, after being hired in February of 2024.
The Commanders are currently 10-5 and hold the seventh seed in the NFC playoff race in his first year as head coach for the franchise. Washington had the second overall pick in the 2024 draft, which shows how big of a leap the Commanders have taken under Quinn in just his first year. Washington was projected to be a rebuilding team in 2024. Still, the arrival of Quinn and star rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels instantly turned the franchise into a surprise contender who could play spoiler in the 2024 NFL playoffs.
Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
It’s a weird but true statement; Tomlin has never won a Coach of the Year award. He has been the coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers for 17 seasons and has never had a losing season. 2024 has been some of Tomlin’s best work to date. At 10-5, the Steelers have the current lead in the AFC North division, which is remarkable considering other teams like the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals also play in the division.
Both Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson are in the middle of the best individual seasons of their career, yet Tomlin has had the Steelers at the top of the division for most of the season. In the offseason, the Steelers traded for former first-round pick Justin Fields and signed Russell Wilson, who was cut from his previous team. Fields held the starting job for the Steelers at the beginning of the season, which yielded mixed results. Tomlin made the bold move of inserting Wilson into the starting lineup, and it has made the Steelers a better team because of it.
An AFC North title with a less-than-stellar offensive cast compared to the other teams in this division warrants Tomlin’s consideration for 2024 Coach of the Year.
Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions (13-2)
The Detroit Lions currently hold the top seed in the NFC playoffs, which is an improvement from 2023, where the Lions finished the regular season with the third seed in the playoffs. Despite a lot of off-season hype and lofty expectations coming into the season, Campbell has been able to coach his Lions through the hype.
Detroit is in prime position for the NFC to have to come through Detroit if it wants to get to the Super Bowl. Because the Lions have a lot of talent and were looked at as one of the best teams in the NFL, it may overshadow the coaching job Campbell has done for this season.
Sean McVay, LA Rams (9-6)
The Los Angeles Rams started the season 1-4, and since that start, they’ve been 8-2 in their final ten games. Their season looked all but done at their week six bye week, and Sean McVay has found a way to turn his team around.
They are on track to win the division and host a first-round playoff game, which didn’t look possible even three weeks ago. It’s the second season in a row the Rams finished hot down the stretch, as they finished 7-1 down the stretch last season to clinch a playoff spot back in 2023.
Main Image: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
