It’s always the same this time on the calendar. With a new year comes new jobs at the highest level of the football coaching rankings, and 2014 will be no exception. Mack Brown? Already gone (well, almost). Jim Schwartz? See ya. Jason Garrett? Coaching for his job—allegedly—on Sunday. At the other end of the spectrum, however, it’s time to delve into NFL Coach of the Year talk.

Odds provided by Sportsbook.ag.

Texas head coach (first regular season game of 2014)

Charlie Strong (+140) – Strong was the hottest name on the market while serving as defensive coordinator for the Florida Gators. The case is the same as a head coach at Louisville, where he has a combined 22-3 record the past two seasons. Last season, the Cardinals even won a BCS bowl (Sugar over Florida).

Art Briles (+350) – Briles has gone from running backs coach at Texas Tech to head coach at Houston and then Baylor, where he currently has the Bears at 11-1 and headed to the Fiesta Bowl. His offense has put up at least 70 points in four games this season. Of course, Briles may have an equally strong chance of landing with the Washington Redskins as he does with Texas.

James Franklin (+550) – Franklin has led a once-beleaguered Vanderbilt program to three consecutive bowl games (BBVA Compass Bowl this year), two straight winning seasons, and two consecutive campaigns with a .500 record or better in SEC play. He is also rumored to be a Penn State candidate if Bill O’Brien bolts for the NFL.

Jon Gruden (+1000) – Gruden has been out of the coaching business since 2008, and he insists he is thrilled with his post at ESPN, which includes a well-respected “Monday Night Football” gig. The former Tampa Bay Bucs’ head man is a Super Bowl-winning coach who at least has some experience at the college level.

AP NFL Coach of the Year

Andy Reid (-160) – Remember that time Kansas City went 2-14? Yep, it was just last year. Enter Reid, who left his long-time post and immediately revitalized the Chiefs. They did not quite win the AFC West, but an already-clinched playoff spot means Reid is the favorite to win Coach of the Year.

Ron Rivera (+300) – This will be a real competition if the Carolina Panthers beat Atlanta in Week 17. Should that happen, Rivera’s team would win the NFC South over the once-favored Saints. It would put an exclamation point on an amazing turnaround that began last year, when Carolina won four in a row to go from 3-9 to 7-9.

Bruce Arians (+350) – Nobody could have seen a playoff berth in Arizona’s future after it went 5-11 in 2012; not even with Arians, who guided Indianapolis incredibly well during Chuck Pagano’s absence. The Cardinals are 10-5, but missing the playoffs would hurt Arians’ chances, and they need a win and help from New Orleans in order to snag a wild card.

Bill Belichick (+650) – Have Belichick and Tom Brady ever done a better job? The Patriots’ record (11-4) has been better at times, and they have been way more impressive on the field on many occasions, but a smorgasbord of injuries and off-the-field issues have not buffeted this team off course. A division title and possible first-round bye makes Belichick’s 2013 resume a strong one.

Australian Open

Novak Djokovic (+125) – What’s not to like about Djokovic’s chances when the year’s first Grand Slam takes place Down Under starting in just over two weeks? He has won three straight Australian Open titles. He also ended 2013 on a 24-match winning streak on hard courts—the surface to which he will return in Australia.

Rafael Nadal (+200) – If there is one strike against Djokovic, it’s that Nadal is also in outstanding form. The world No. 1 captured French Open and U.S. Open titles last season, sweeping his way summer hard-court trophies in Montreal, Cincinnati, and then in New York.

Andy Murray (+500) – Murray is coming back from offseason back surgery. By all accounts he is 100 percent, but he has not played an official match since mid-September heading into 2014. The fourth-ranked Scot is a three-time runner-up in Melbourne, so he can’t be discounted.

Juan Martin Del Potro (+1000) – Del Potro fared extremely well for the most part in 2013, but he underwhelmed at the Grand Slams outside of Wimbledon. Among his setbacks was a third-round loss to Jeremy Chardy at the Australian Open. Still, he is a major champion (2009 U.S. Open) who loves hard courts.

NCAA Championship

Michigan State (+550) – Arizona is undefeated and still No. 1, but the Wildcats are not yet getting respect from the betting public. Michigan State, on the other hand, is getting plenty. The Spartans, a Final Four staple under head coach Tom Izzo, are 10-1 with a lone loss to a mercurial UNC squad.

Kansas (+600) – The Jayhawks are a modest 8-3 with losses to Villanova, Colorado, and Florida. But they also beat Duke by 11 and Georgetown by 22 last week. You have to think a young team led by freshmen Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid will only get better and better as the season progresses.

Louisville (+600) – With Rick Pitino at the helm and the experience of having won last season’s National Championship under its belt, Louisville has to be considered a serious contender. Like Michigan State, the Cardinals’ only loss amidst double-digit wins has come at the hands of North Carolina.

Oklahoma State (+650) – Don’t sleep on the Cowboys—at least not the ones who play college basketball as opposed to professional football. Marcus Smart is playing even better than his 18.0 points per game suggests. He has his team at 11-1 with Big 12 competition, including a date at Kansas next month, on the horizon.

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