NFL 2025: AP Coach and Assistant Coach of the Year Voting Favorites

The NFL and The Associated Press have announced the finalists for their annual accolades for the 2025 NFL season.

Award winners will be announced at NFL Honors presented by Invisalign, an Align Technology brand, on Thursday, Feb. 5 at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. NFL Honors, the league’s primetime awards special, will air at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT on NBC and NFL Network, with streaming available on Peacock and NFL+.

The full list of annual awards include AP Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, Assistant Coach of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, Defensive and Offensive Rookies of the Year, and Defensive and Offensive Players of the Year.

Below is my best pick for the Coach and Assistant Coach awards.

Coach of the Year Pick

Mike Vrabel (New England Patriots) Vrabel holds as the favorite at -330 to -400. He orchestrated a stunning turnaround from a 4-win team to 14-3 and an AFC East title, maximizing a rookie QB (Maye) and building a top-tier defense. Voters heavily favor massive overachievers in rebuilds or surprise divisions—Vrabel’s immediate impact, defensive identity, and exceeding expectations by miles outpace others like Mike Macdonald.

Nominees

Liam Coen, Jacksonville Jaguars

Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears

Mike Macdonald, Seattle Seahawks

Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers

Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots

Assistant Coach of the Year Pick

Vic Fangio (Philadelphia Eagles) Fangio holds as the favorite at around even money to +150 range (implied from various analyses, though limited public betting lines exist post-finalists). He orchestrated a dominant defensive resurgence, leading the league in lowest opponent completion percentage (56.8%, best since 2008), fewest passing touchdowns allowed (14, fewest by Eagles since 2001), and top overall rankings in points/yards surrendered.

Nominees

Vic Fangio, Philadelphia Eagles

Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings

Vance Joseph, Denver Broncos

Klint Kubiak, Seattle Seahawks

Josh McDaniels, New England Patriots

NFL Honors, hosted by Jon Hamm, will also feature the announcement of the prestigious Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year presented by Nationwide, the newest Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 Announcement presented by Novartis and the new Protector of the Year Award to honor the league’s best offensive lineman in 2025.

As the Official Timepiece Partner of the NFL, Breitling will unveil custom NFL Honors watches for the eight AP Award recipients, as well as the Protector of the Year and the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year presented by Nationwide, with a special timepiece created exclusively for the MVP presented by Invisalign. Crafted for moments that define careers and designed to carry legacy forward, each watch stands as a lasting mark of achievement.

NFL Honors is an NFL Network production in association with Rock Garden Media. For more information about NFL Honors presented by Invisalign, fans may visit www.nfl.com/honors and follow the #NFLHonors conversation on X. 

NBC, Peacock, Telemundo and Universo will present Super Bowl LX on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026.