Mike McCarthy is surprising preseason co-favorite for NFL Coach of the Year

The NFL Coach of the Year award usually goes to the coach of the team that defies expectations or dominates more than expected. One oddsmaker thinks that a somewhat surprising name will do that this year.

FanDuel Sportsbook unsurprisingly rates Patriots coach Bill Belichick as a co-favorite for the award. Given the Patriots’ history of brushing off changes, they’re optimistic that Belichick will be credited for keeping New England moving in the right direction after Tom Brady’s departure. The other co-favorite, however, is something of a surprise: new Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy.

Bill Belichick and Mike McCarthy open as the favorites for Coach of the Year pic.twitter.com/XnIIyF7yvP

— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) May 6, 2020

Why the optimism about McCarthy? There’s a sense that the Cowboys have underachieved over the last couple years under Jason Garrett, and a new coach might be a breath of fresh air. Plus, McCarthy has a proven track record of success in Green Bay. That said, the team has some off-field business to square away to ensure that McCarthy only has to deal with on-field worries come training camp.

As for the coach with the longest odds of winning the award? That’s Doug Marrone, whose Jacksonville Jaguars are expected to be among the league’s worst teams in 2020.