Winning the Super Bowl has its perks, as Philadelphia coach Doug Pederson is finding out. First it gives the head man of an NFL team job security, at least through the next year. Since 2009, only two coaches are not with the team that they led to a Super Bowl victory.
Now Pederson has jumped to the top of the Coach of the Year list. He is the 10/1 favorite at 5Dimes. Last season Pederson was a 20/1 pick, well behind favorite Bill Belichick of New England at 6/1. Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay won the award, and opened as a 33/1 pick.
McVay is listed as the 12/1 pick this year, but don’t expect a back-to-back win. Only Joe Gibbs (1982-83), Don Shula (1967-68) and Allie Sherman (1961-62) have won the award in back-to-back seasons, and in Shula’s case, it was shared with George Allen in 1967.
His contemporaries raved about McVay when he was honored in February. Seattle general manager John Schneider told NFL.com that he was deserving of the award.
“People rave about his work ethic, his creativity and his ability to communicate, and for a guy who’s that young, it’s really, really impressive,” Schneider said.
Pederson Might Face Long Odds to Win
Winning the Super Bowl as an underdog was a career achievement for Pederson, and duplicating that type of success might be difficult. The team is listed as the second pick to repeat as champions at 10/1, behind the New England Patriots, who are at 6/1.
Even if the Eagles make it back to the big game, it might not be enough for the third-year coach to get the honor. If they don’t return to the Super Bowl, it could be seen as not living up to expectations.
Despite leading the Eagles to the NFC Championship and a 13-3 record, Pederson only received one vote from the 50 media members for the award. Some were outraged that he only got one vote, especially since he lost his starting quarterback, and defeated the LA Rams, and eventual winner McVay, on the road in the playoffs.
Nagy Shooting Up Board
One name that is surprising is first-year coach Matt Nagy of the Chicago Bears. He opened at 20/1, but has since joined Pederson as a 10/1 selection.
The 40-year-old is one of the younger coaches in the league, and has a lot of similarities to McVay. He is inheriting a team that has underachieved and could challenge for their division title.
Nagy probably wouldn’t get much consideration unless the team reaches the playoffs. Getting there depends largely on second-year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.
One name that might elicit some attention is Anthony Lynn. The Los Angeles Chargers new head coach is in his second year. The team is the favorite to win the AFC West, and is at 16/1 to win the Super Bowl. They are also a 6/1 pick to win the AFC Championship.
The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook has set the line on regular season victories at 9.5, with the over at -120, and the under at even.
