Is Hillsborough's Jonathon Coords the 'Hottest Husband'?

What does it take to be the "hottest husband?" For Partridge Road resident Cari Coords, it's a guy who can pack the kids' lunches, spend a day running his business all day, then come home and still have time for his family.

And it helps to have a swoon-worthy mug, which Coords does—at least according to the editors of Redbook magazine's "Hottest Husband" contest. The editors picked his nomination out of about 1,500 entries for their finalists.

"He is one of the best dads I know," the happy missus said, noting Jonathon volunteers at their New Brunswick church, renovated a battered women's shelter in New Brunswick, gave their church's deaconry in Basking Ridge a makeover, renovated Elijah's Promise (a soup kitchen) in New Brunswick. "But he still manages to always be up for doing things together as a family and spending quality time with us."

Coords is the owner of ESS Home Theater Showroom with his father and a brother, specializing in the installation and sales of audio and video systems. In addition to his volunteering and business, the Coords have six children—including three the couple recently adopted—multiplying those school lunches.

But he takes it well in stride, as well as being on Redbook's "Hottest Husband" list.

"It's fun—there's some good ribbing going on," he said. "It is a little embarrassing."

Coords made the short list after his wife nominated him when she read the magazine's article about last year's winner.

"It was a dad of two who was a firefighter and overall good guy, but I thought, 'Jon would blow this guy out of the water!'" Mrs. Coords said.

When he learned of the contest—and her entry—Coords said his first thought was, "Oh, no—this isn't going to end well."

But the ending is up to voters in the contest—which anyone can do by visiting the contest page on SurveyMonkey.com.

If Jonathon is Redbook's hottest husband, it could end very well for he and Cari: the first prize is a trip for the couple to Caracao. 

This article was edited to correct incorrect information.