Seven out of 32 NFL teams changed coaches this past offseason, a fairly typical amount of turnover. Customers placing futures wagers at Michigan sportsbooks never know when the next coaching hire might produce a massive turnaround, good or bad, for a team’s fortunes.
At BetMichigan.com, we are already wondering about the next batch of coaching firings and hirings. So we created a list of coaches who might be the next to get their first shot – or perhaps one final shot – at glory as the on-field leader of a franchise. These odds are exclusive to BetMichigan, but Michigan sports betting apps offer plenty of other NFL wagers.
Candidate | Current Position | Odds | Percent Chance |
Bobby Slowik | Houston Texans OC | +350 | 22.2% |
Ben Johnson | Detroit Lions OC | +400 | 20.0% |
Mike Vrabel | Former Titans HC | +600 | 14.3% |
Bill Belichick | Former Patriots HC | +900 | 10.0% |
Aaron Glenn | Detroit Lions DC | +1000 | 9.1% |
Ejiro Evero | Carolina Panthers DC | +1750 | 5.4% |
Frank Smith | Miami Dolphins OC | +1750 | 5.4% |
Shane Waldron | Chicago Bears OC | +2000 | 4.8% |
Lou Anarumo | Cincinnati Bengals DC | +2000 | 4.8% |
The Field |
| +2000 | 4.8% |
Most coaches on our list are NFL coordinators who might be the next in line to get a bigger opportunity. Detroit Lions Super Bowl odds have looked a lot more realistic since they hired Dan Campbell as head coach in 2021. Who do we see as the next coach-in-waiting candidates?
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is second on our list at +400 odds, or a 20% implied probability. Only Houston Texans OC Bobby Slowik (+350 odds) rates higher on our chart.
Under Johnson, Detroit’s offense has ranked fifth in the NFL in scoring for back-to-back seasons after failing to finish in the top half of the league in any of the previous four years. Quarterback Jared Goff has found a new lease on life with the Lions and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has become one of the league’s most reliable weapons.
Operators offering the best Michigan sports betting promos have installed the Lions as one of the top teams in Super Bowl odds entering the 2024-25 NFL season. Slowik has also been partly responsible for a major turnaround in Houston under head coach DeMeco Ryans.
Two proven head coaches in the NFL are third and fourth on our list. Former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel (+600 odds) and former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick (+900) are available.
The Patriots, a dynasty under Belichick for the past two decades, have bottomed out now; at Caesars Michigan Sportsbook they’re dead last in preseason Super Bowl odds at +27500.
Belichick is in a unique position – this is the first time that a six-time Super Bowl winner has found himself on the job market. The question around him is partly age (he’s 72) and partly the fact that someone with his resume has the luxury of waiting for exactly the right opportunity.
Vrabel, 49, led the Tians for six years and made three playoff appearances. He has joined the Cleveland Browns as a consultant this season.
Johnson isn’t the only Lions assistant on our list. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is at +1000 odds, fifth on our board. After giving up the most yards in the league in 2022, Detroit’s defense improved to 19th last season. Now entering his fifth season as Lions DC, Glenn could take a step forward on the list of head coaching candidates if his defense improves again during the 2024-25 NFL season.
At BetMGM Michigan Sportsbook, the Lions are +550 to win the NFC Championship and qualify for their first Super Bowl appearance. They’re +1200 to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy and become NFL champions for the first time since 1957, well before the Super Bowl era.
USA Today Network photo by Kimberly P. Mitchell
Author
Jim Tomlin writes and edits for BetMichigan.com. In 30 years as a journalist he has worked for publications such as the Tampa Bay Times, Saturday Tradition, Saturday Down South and FanRag. He now lends his sports and gambling expertise to BetMichigan among other websites.
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