Pete Carroll won coach of the year awards in college during his dominant run at USC, where he guided the Trojans to national titles in 2003 and 2004.
But the Super Bowl-winning coach never has been named NFL Coach of the Year in 18 seasons at the helm of the Seahawks, Patriots and Jets.
That could change in Carroll’s first season as coach of the Raiders, who finished 4-13 last season.
Carroll, 73, is tied for the 12-1 third favorite at the Westgate SuperBook to win the NFL Coach of the Year award with Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh.
Bears coach Ben Johnson and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel are the 8-1 co-favorites.
“If the Raiders win 10 games and make the playoffs — and it’s not out of the question — he would definitely be a contender,” SuperBook vice president of risk Ed Salmons said. “The Raiders are the kind of team they’re looking for that goes from four wins to double-digit wins. That’s what they’re looking for in a Coach of the Year.”
Salmons said he’s always liked Carroll, tied for the 16-1 seventh choice at Caesars Sportsbook, as a coach.
“He is a culture guy, and the Raiders certainly need to change their culture. He’s definitely a step in the right direction,” he said. “We’ll see if the Raiders have the pieces to even make a run. As they sit right now, I don’t believe they do. But two months from now, we could be looking at this team, and they could be totally different.”
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell won the award last season after Minnesota ascended from 7-10 in 2023 to 14-3 in 2024.
Favorites
Johnson, the former Lions offensive coordinator, will try to turn around a Chicago squad that finished 5-12 last season.
“The Bears were as bad a coached team as you’d see in the NFL last year. Now you go to Ben Johnson, and he’s credited with Detroit’s offense. He’s done a great job there,” Salmons said. “(Detroit’s) Jared Goff looked like he was going to be out of the NFL a couple years ago, and all of a sudden, he’s a top quarterback. Obviously Ben Johnson played a big part of it.
“The Bears have some good players. They just need a couple pieces here and there, and they can make a big jump up. That puts Ben Johnson in position to get to 10 wins and be Coach of the Year.”
Vrabel, the 2021 award winner with the Titans, takes over a New England team that went 4-13 last season.
“Mike Vrabel’s a great coach. He’ll get a team to way overachieve, and the Patriots have some nice pieces in place. They kind of seem to be a team that could take a big step forward next year,” Salmons said. “It’s a division where I think Buffalo has reached its apex. … Miami seems like a team that’s topped out. … and the Jets have another new coach and are looking for another new quarterback.
“The Patriots could go 3-3 in that division, and they’re going to play a last-place schedule. At times, the Patriots defense was decent last year and, at times, (quarterback) Drake Maye looked like he was really starting to turn the corner.”
Coen and Co.
First-year Jaguars coach Liam Coen, the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator last season, is tied with the Panthers’ Dave Canales as the 14-1 fifth choice at the Westgate.
Jacksonville went 4-13 last season.
“Coen basically came into Tampa last year and took what Canales did the year before and really improved on it even more. He looks like he knows what he’s doing,” Salmons said. “Jacksonville has just been down so far, but you’ve got (quarterback) Trevor Lawrence and (wideout) Brian Thomas, who looks like a real stud. It seems to be something that can work.
“They won four games, so they fit the profile of a big-time improvement.”
The Broncos’ Sean Payton is 16-1, followed by the Seahawks’ Mike MacDonald and the 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan at 20-1.
A pack of six are at 25-1, including new Jets coach Aaron Glenn. Nine are at 30-1, including new Saints coach Kellen Moore.
Eight are 40-1 or higher, with the Ravens’ John Harbaugh, the Eagles’ Nick Sirianni and the Chiefs’ Andy Reid the longest shots on the board at 80-1.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on X.
NFL Coach of Year odds
At Westgate SuperBook
Ben Johnson 8-1
Mike Vrabel 8-1
Pete Carroll 12-1
Jim Harbaugh 12-1
Dave Canales 14-1
Liam Coen 14-1
Sean Payton 16-1
Mike MacDonald 20-1
Kyle Shanahan 20-1
Brian Callahan 25-1
Jonathan Gannon 25-1
Aaron Glenn 25-1
Sean McVay 25-1
Brian Schottenheimer 25-1
Zac Taylor 25-1
Brian Daboll 30-1
Matt LaFleur 30-1
Mike McDaniel 30-1
Kellen Moore 30-1
Raheem Morris 30-1
Dan Quinn 30-1
DeMeco Ryans 30-1
Shane Steichen 30-1
Mike Tomlin 30-1
Todd Bowles 40-1
Dan Campbell 40-1
Kevin Stefanski 40-1
Sean McDermott 50-1
Kevin O’Connell 50-1
John Harbaugh 80-1
Andy Reid 80-1
Nick Sirianni 80-1
