What Are the Odds? Breaking Down Which Candidates Have Best Odds To Be Jaguars’ HC

The Jacksonville Jaguars have cast a wide net in the search for their next head coach -- a vastly different strategy than last year's limited search that ended in hiring Urban Meyer. 

But among all of the candidates who have interviewed or are set to interview, who has the best betting odds to be the replacement for Meyer and lead the Jaguars into the future? From Byron Leftwich to Bill O'Brien to Jim Caldwell, there are a number of potential coaches who could potentially lead the Jaguars into the future. 

Covers and Maxibet have provided odds to represent the field of candidates the Jaguars are currently looking at. In an effort to make sense of what oddsmakers are seeing when it comes to the Jaguars, we have opted to go through the list -- from the favorites to the long-shots -- to break down which candidates truly make sense. 

Bill O'Brien: +175

We broke down here what we think the pros and cons to Bill O'Brien's candidacy are. It is surprising to see O'Brien listed as the favorite in part due to the fact that there isn't a single other NFL team interested in him as head coach, which is further evidenced by the fact that O'Brien's only odds are with Jacksonville.

With that said, it is clear why O'Brien seems to be strongly positioned -- he is a Trent Baalke guy. Baalke is strongly pushing for O'Brien, and it is clear that O'Brien and Baalke have a legitimate interest in working together. For Baalke, he likely sees O'Brien as his way to staying in power. For O'Brien, his options are limited so aligning himself with someone who is currently a general manager makes sense for his interests in making a jump back to the NFL. 

With that said, it would be a surprise if O'Brien is named head coach, at least as things stand today. He has the top odds because the O'Brien rumors have been put into overdrive over the last week and the fact that he is actually getting an interview with the Jaguars indicates he is at least on their list, but he is an unlikely choice as things stand today.

Darrell Bevell: +300

The Jaguars interim head coach over the final four games of the season, Darrell Bevell finds himself with the second-best odds among all candidates. Bevell revealed on Monday that he would interview with Khan this week for the full-time role. Bevell has gotten head coaching interviews in the past so he isn't a candidate out of left field, but the Jaguars still struggled with him at the helm, going 1-3 and only really having a pulse in the 26-11 upset of the Colts in the season finale.

"Being here and spending time this last season, I do think there’s things as evident. I think it does start with Shad. There isn’t a guy who wants to win more than him and I think you see just some of the things he’s tried to do," Bevell said this week. "I do think there needs to be some stability, some consistency, some continuity, particularly for a young quarterback as well, but I’ll get a chance hopefully in the near future to talk to him about it.”

Bevell is a respected leader inside the locker room and the front office and he is a calming presence, but the fact that he oversaw the lowest-scoring offense in franchise history likely doesn't help his case. Still, he could potentially be seen as an option to pair with Baalke if that is what Khan wants to happen.

Byron Leftwich: +500

One of the top options to replace Meyer, Byron Leftwich has several things working in his favor. Both his age and ceiling, offensive mind, play-calling success, and his work with Jameis Winston and Tom Brady indicate that he is a quality candidate for any team, especially a team with a young quarterback like the Jaguars. Add in the fact that he reportedly impressed in his interview with the Jaguars and the fact that he has plenty of skin in the game due to his past as a Jaguars quarterback, and Leftwich checks off plenty of boxes.

Jim Caldwell: +600

Read here on why we think Jim Caldwell makes a lot of sense for the Jaguars. It is of course worth noting, he hasn't coached the last two seasons and is going to be 67-years-old in Week 1, 2022. With that in mind, Caldwell is an excellent developer of quarterbacks and is a respected leader. He would provide stability in place of the toxic Urban Meyer era. 

Doug Pederson: +700

Arguably one of the best candidates in the group, Doug Pederson has experience as a quarterback at every level, as an offensive coordinator under Andy Reid, as a play-caller, and as a Super Bowl-winning head coach. Pederson would need to provide some clarity to why his tenure with the Eagles failed how it did, but he is a name that makes sense for an organization that needs a coach who can develop Trevor Lawrence.

Eric Bieniemy: +900

Eric Bieniemy hasn't gotten the same chance that Doug Pederson and Matt Nagy got before him despite leading a high-powered Chiefs offense for the last several seasons, and his name hasn't been as hot this cycle as it has been in the past. He did get an interview with the Jaguars last season, but the Jaguars have not requested an interview with him during this cycle.

Kellen Moore: +1,000

Kellen Moore is one of the best offensive coordinators in the NFL based simply off results. Calling plays for the Cowboys the last three seasons, Moore currently has the Cowboys ranked among the best in the NFL after having the Cowboys No. 6 and No. 1 in each category in 2019. And even in 2020 when Dak Prescott was hurt, Moore put together some good stretches of production for an offense led by Andy Dalton. He is a bright young offensive mind who would likely get the best out of Trevor Lawrence, but his rawness could work against him.

Brian Daboll: +1,200

Another coach who hasn't gotten an interview with the Jaguars this cycle, it could say a lot that the Jaguars didn't give Daboll an interview last season. Daboll has multiple years of successful passing games under his belt and he has clearly done wonders with Josh Allen, but Daboll would have been a hotter name to hire at this point last season. As of today, Daboll looks more likely for the other head coaching jobs in the NFL.

Matt Eberflus: +1,200

A coach with plenty of experience against the Jaguars, the Colts' defensive coordinator has consistently gotten the most out of his talent and has helped the Colts' defense become one of the signature pieces of the franchise. He doesn't have head coach experience, though, and would need to prove he can bring in a top-notch offensive coordinator. He is set to interview with the Jaguars this weekend, but should still be seen as a long-shot. 

Joe Brady: +1,400

Joe Brady's window to be an NFL head coach has likely passed, for now. At the very least, he won't be the next head coach in Jacksonville -- he has not been given an interview, which isn't surprising considering he was fired by the Panthers about a month ago. Perhaps Brady gets looks later in the cycle, but a fired offensive coordinator doesn't make sense for the Jaguars.

Josh McDaniels: +2,000

This one won't happen. Josh McDaniels has interviewed with the Jaguars in the past (2017) and reportedly impressed the Jaguars' brass, but he hasn't been among the Jaguars wide list of interviews yet this offseason.

Marvin Lewis: +2,000

One of the most underappreciated head coaches of his era, Marvin Lewis has already shown he can turn around a floundering franchise and at least bring them to a respectable level. Lewis was never able to lead the Bengals to any playoff success, but seven playoff appearances and four division titles is still a terrific track record. Lewis did this with a team that has been known to be among the most tight-fisted with money when it comes to spending on free agents and facilities, but this wouldn't be an issue in Jacksonville. Lewis' 131-122 record (.518%) is something the Jaguars would kill for right now. 

With that said, Lewis has not been granted an interview with the Jaguars or any other NFL team this cycle. He is the longest of longshots.