Youth vs. experience. Fresh, innovative ideas vs. years of acquired knowledge. In college football, much like in life, an influx of young head coaches eager to prove themselves is counterbalanced by an older generation who have proven themselves on the football battlefield. The result is a wide range between the youngest and oldest coaches in the country.
But how do they all stack up? Who is the youngest, who is the oldest, and where does your head coach fit in the college landscape? Our list of college football head coaches by age makes those questions easy to answer.
List of College Football Head Coaches by Age, From Oldest to Youngest
1) Bill Belichick, North Carolina Tar Heels | Apr. 16, 1952 (73)
When the North Carolina Tar Heels parted ways with long-time head coach Mack Brown at the end of the 2024 campaign, it was understood that they were trading him in for a younger model. Instead, the program hired legendary NFL head coach Bill Belichick, making him the oldest of the 136 college football head coaches.
Despite his NFL experience and success, this is Belichick’s first head coaching role at the college football level. At 73, he became the oldest FBS college football head coach to make his coaching debut when he led out his Tar Heels side against the TCU Horned Frogs in Week 1 of the 2025 college football season.
2) Kirk Ferentz, Iowa Hawkeyes | Aug. 1, 1955 (70)
Kirk Ferentz has become a staple of the college football landscape, making his head coaching debut in 1999. At 70 years old, he is not only one of the oldest college football head coaches, but he also boasts the longest active streak in the sport. The 2025 season marks his 27th consecutive season at the helm of the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Despite calls for his departure over the years, he shows no sign of slowing down and entered the 2025 season with a 204-124 record. Ferentz has led the Hawkeyes to eight double-digit win seasons and 21 bowl games during his tenure.
3) K.C. Keeler, Temple Owls | Jul. 26, 1959 (66)
An emphatic endorsement of the value of an experienced coach, the Temple Owls turned to one of the oldest college football head coaches when they hired K.C. Keeler from the Sam Houston Bearkats ahead of the 2025 college football season. Turning 66 just before his debut in Philadelphia, he’s the third-oldest at the FBS level.
With experience also comes success. Keeler has been a transformative influence at every program he’s ever led, becoming the only head coach to have won national championships with multiple teams (Sam Houston and Delaware) at the non-FBS level. Entering the 2025 season, he boasted a 271-112-1 record as a head coach across all levels of the sport.
4) Kyle Whittingham, Utah Utes | Nov. 21, 1959 (65)
Turning 66 during the 2025 season, Kyle Whittingham is the fourth-oldest of the 136 college football head coaches. After announcing a succession plan during the 2024 campaign and a few difficult years, some thought we might have seen the end of his career, but he ties Mike Gundy as the second-longest tenured active head coach with his return to Salt Lake City.
Whittingham has been at the helm for 21 years, but was also the co-coach of the Fiesta Bowl in the 2004 season. If you count that, 2025 marks his 22nd season. In that time, he’s guided the Utes to 17 bowl games, two Pac-12 titles, and a Mountain West Championship success.
5) Willie Fritz, Houston Cougars | Apr. 2, 1960 (65)
Willie Fritz turned 65 ahead of the 2025 season, making him the fifth-oldest college football head coach in the country. During his 12 years at the helm of an FBS program, he’s established himself as one of the best in the business, regularly transforming teams from struggling to successful, from bottom dwellers to championship contenders.
His 75-62 overall record doesn’t tell the whole story of his success, as he’s often taken a season or two to take a sub-.500 team to prominence. His 75% success ratio in bowl games, including the Cotton Bowl win over the USC Trojans while at Tulane, is a better measure of his influence.
6) Curt Cignetti, Indiana Hoosiers | Jun. 2, 1961 (64)
Since becoming a head coach in 2011, Curt Cignetti has been the standard-bearer for what success looks like. Ahead of the 2025 season, he boasted a 130-37 overall record with a range of divisional and conference titles across several teams and levels.
After leading the James Madison Dukes into the FBS in 2022, he inserted himself among the oldest college football head coaches. His success early in that transitional period led to national attention, with Cignetti ultimately leaving the Dukes for the Indiana Hoosiers, where the 64-year-old led the team to the College Football Playoff in his first season in charge.
7) Brian Kelly, LSU Tigers | Oct. 25, 1961 (63)
Starting his head coaching journey with Grand Valley State in 1991, Brian Kelly has been at the forefront of college football excellence for over 30 years. He has tasted success at every stop along the way, with two DII titles, multiple conference crowns, and an SEC Western Division title across stints at Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, and the LSU Tigers.
Turning 64 during the 2025 season, Kelly is the seventh-oldest among the 136 college football head coaches. Still, that hasn’t stopped him from attempting to appeal to the youth, using his dancing prowess as a recruiting tool, as evidenced by several viral videos during his tenure.
8) Jim Mora, UConn Huskies | Nov. 19, 1961 (63)
While he is one of the oldest college football head coaches, entering the season at 63 years old, Jim Mora has spent more time as an NFL coach. After almost 20 years as a positional coach with the San Diego Chargers, New Orleans Saints, and San Francisco 49ers, he became the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons in 2004. He was also the head coach in Seattle in 2009.
After two seasons out of the game, he was hired as the head coach of the UCLA Bruins, where success came early but faded away quickly. Another period away from the game followed, but his return to coaching with the UConn Huskies has seen Mora establish a genuinely competitive football program after years of mediocrity.
9) Sam Pittman, Arkansas Razorbacks | Nov. 28, 1961 (63)
Sam Pittman will turn 64 just as the 2025 college football season ends, and only time will tell if his Arkansas Razorbacks’ team will give him a happy birthday. He entered the season with a 30-31 losing record, with a 9-4 campaign in 2021 showing promise that the rest of his tenure hasn’t always lived up to.
That said, Pittman is undefeated in bowl season, going 3-0 with the Razorbacks. Despite a long career dating back to 1984, Arkansas is his only FBS head coaching gig, with a two-year stint at JUCO program Hutchinson (1992-1993) the only other experience leading a team.
10) Frank Reich, Stanford Cardinal | Dec. 4, 1961 (63)
After a career spent coaching at the NFL level, Frank Reich debuted as a college football head coach at the start of the 2025 season, making him one of the oldest to do so. As the Stanford Cardinal looks to reinvent the football program under general manager Andrew Luck, Reich — a former quarterback with the Maryland Terrapins — was brought in as the interim head coach.
11) Jay Norvell, Colorado State Rams | Mar. 28, 1963 (62)
12) Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia Mountaineers | May 24, 1963 (62)
13) Lance Leipold, Kansas Jayhawks | May 6, 1964 (61)
14) Ken Niumatalolo, San Jose State Spartans | May 8, 1965 (60)
15) Tim Albin, Charlotte 49ers | Sept. 13, 1965 (60)
16) Bronco Mendenhall, Utah State Aggies | Feb. 21, 1966 (59)
17) Tim Beck, Coastal Carolina Chanticleers | Mar. 14, 1966 (59)
18) Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh Panthers | Apr. 22, 1966 (59)
19) Greg Schiano, Rutgers Scarlet Knights | Jun. 1, 1966 (59)
20) Troy Calhoun, Air Force Falcons | Sept. 26, 1966 (58)
21) Jeff Monken, Army Black Knights | Apr. 15, 1967 (58)
22) Mark Stoops, Kentucky Wildcats | Jul. 9, 1967 (58)
23) Deion Sanders, Colorado Buffaloes | Aug. 9, 1967 (58)
24) Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State Cowboys | Aug. 12, 1967 (58)
25) Charles Kelly, Jacksonville State Gamecocks | Sept. 8, 1967 (58)
26) Chris Klieman, Kansas State Wildcats | Sept. 27, 1967 (57)
27) Chuck Martin, Miami RedHawks | Jan. 8, 1968 (57)
28) Butch Jones, Arkansas State Red Wolves | Jan. 17, 1968 (57
29) Phil Longo, Sam Houston Bearkats | Apr. 17, 1968 (57)
30) Jeff Traylor, UTSA Roadrunners | May 9, 1968 (57)
31) Chris Creighton, Eastern Michigan Eagles | Feb. 7, 1969 (56)
32) Hugh Freeze, Auburn Tigers | Sept. 27, 1969 (55)
33) Derek Mason, Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders | Sept. 29, 1969 (55)
34) Bill O’Brien, Boston College Eagles | Oct. 23, 1969 (55)
35) Sonny Dykes, TCU Horned Frogs | Nov. 9, 1969 (55)
36) Dabo Swinney, Clemson Tigers | Nov. 20, 1969 (55)
37) Scott Abell, Rice Owls | Dec. 5, 1969 (55)
38) Mike Locksley, Maryland Terrapins | Dec. 25, 1969 (55)
39) Bret Bielema, Illinois Fighting Illini | Jan. 13, 1970 (55)
40) Pete Lembo, Buffalo Bulls | Apr. 16, 1970 (55)
41) Jeff Choate, Nevada Wolf Pack | Jul. 15, 1970 (55)
42) Mario Cristobal, Miami Hurricanes | Sept. 24, 1970 (54)
43) Brent Venables, Oklahoma Sooners | Dec. 18, 1970 (54)
44) Jay Sawvel, Wyoming Cowboys | Mar. 14, 1971 (54)
45) Jeff Brohm, Louisville Cardinals | Apr. 24, 1971 (54)
46) Joey McGuire, Texas Tech Red Raiders | Aug. 6, 1971 (54)
47) Dave Doeren, NC State Wolfpack | Dec. 3, 1971 (53)
48) Philip Montgomery, Virginia Tech Hokies | Dec. 21, 1971 (53)
49) James Franklin, Penn State Nittany Lions | Feb. 2, 1972 (53)
50) Trent Dilfer, UAB Blazers | Mar. 13, 1972 (53)
51) Dan Mullen, UNLV Rebels | Apr. 27, 1972 (53)
52) Clay Helton, Georgia Southern Eagles | Jun. 24, 1972 (53)
53) Matt Entz, Fresno State Bulldogs | Oct. 9, 1972 (52)
54) Tony Gibson, Marshall Thundering Herd | Oct. 12, 1972 (52)
55) Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati Bearcats | Dec. 21, 1972 (52)
56) Brent Brennan, Arizona Wildcats | Mar. 20, 1973 (52)
57) Luke Fickell, Wisconsin Badgers | Aug. 18, 1973 (52)
58) Dell McGee, Georgia State Panthers | Sept. 7, 1973 (52)
59) Eddie George, Bowling Green Falcons | Sept. 24, 1973 (51)
60) Joe Moorhead, Akron Zips | Nov. 2, 1973 (51)
61) Tony Sanchez, New Mexico State Aggies | Jan. 25, 1974 (51)
62) Brian Newberry, Navy Midshipmen | Feb. 26, 1974 (51)
63) Steve Sarkisian, Texas Longhorns | Mar. 8, 1974 (51)
64) Manny Diaz, Duke Blue Devils | Mar. 13, 1974 (51)
65) Kalen DeBoer, Alabama Crimson Tide | Oct. 24, 1974 (50)
66) Scott Frost, UCF Knights | Jan. 4, 1975 (50)
67) Matt Rhule, Nebraska Cornhuskers | Jan. 31, 1975 (50)
68) Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss Rebels | May 9, 1975 (50)
69) Kalani Sitake, BYU Cougars | Oct. 10, 1975 (49)
70) Bryant Vincent, Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks | Oct. 18, 1975 (49)
71) Kirby Smart, Georgia Bulldogs | Dec. 23, 1975 (49)
72) Jedd Fisch, Washington Huskies | May 5, 1976 (49)
73) Mike Uremovich, Ball State Cardinals | Aug. 21, 1976 (49)
74) Dave Aranda, Baylor Bears | Sept. 29, 1976 (48)
75) Justin Wilcox, California Golden Bears | Nov. 12, 1976 (48)
76) Barry Odom, Purdue Boilermakers | Nov. 26, 1976 (48)
77) Jamey Chadwell, Liberty Flames | Jan. 10, 1977 (48)
78) Shane Beamer, South Carolina Gamecocks | Mar. 31, 1977 (48)
79) Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky Hilltoppers | Jun. 20, 1977 (48)
80) Mike Elko, Texas A&M Aggies | Jul. 28, 1977 (48)
81) Bob Chesney, James Madison Dukes | Aug. 10, 1977 (48)
82) Jason Eck, New Mexico Lobos | Aug. 11, 1977 (48)
83) Josh Heupel, Tennessee Volunteers | Mar. 22, 1978 (47)
84) Tim Skipper, UCLA Bruins | Apr. 15, 1978 (47)
85) Major Applewhite, South Alabama Jaguars | Jul. 26, 1978 (47)
86) Brent Key, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | Aug. 1, 1978 (47)
87) Jonathan Smith, Michigan State Spartans | Jan. 18, 1979 (46)
88) Ryan Day, Ohio State Buckeyes | Mar. 12, 1979 (46)
89) Billy Napier, Florida Gators | Jul. 21, 1979 (46)
90) Blake Harrell, East Carolina Pirates | Oct. 20, 1979 (45)
91) Jason Candle, Toledo Rockets | Nov. 12, 1979 (45)
92) Tony Elliott, Virginia Cavaliers | Nov. 26, 1979 (45)
93) Matt Campbell, Iowa State Cyclones | Nov. 29, 1979 (45)
94) Ricky Rahne, Old Dominion Monarchs | Jul. 19, 1980 (45)
95) Mark Carney, Kent State Golden Flashes | Jul. 31, 1980 (45)
96) Ryan Silverfield, Memphis Tigers | Aug. 4, 1980 (45)
97) Brian Smith, Ohio Bobcats | Aug. 9, 1980 (45)
98) Dowell Loggains, Appalachian State Mountaineers | Oct. 1, 1980 (44)
99) Willie Simmons, Florida International Panthers | Oct. 12, 1980 (44)
100) Jerry Mack, Kennesaw State Owls | Oct. 24, 1980 (44)
101) P. J. Fleck, Minnesota Golden Gophers | Nov. 29, 1980 (44)
102) Gerad Parker, Troy Trojans | Jan. 4, 1981 (44)
103) Thomas Hammock, Northern Illinois Huskies | Jul. 7, 1981 (44)
104) Lance Taylor, Western Michigan Broncos | Jul. 17, 1981 (44)
105) Sonny Cumbie, Louisiana Tech Bulldogs | Aug. 8, 1981 (44)
106) Timmy Chang, Hawaiʻi Rainbow Warriors | Oct. 9, 1981 (43)
107) Mike Norvell, Florida State Seminoles | Oct. 11, 1981 (43)
108) Clark Lea, Vanderbilt Commodores | Nov. 11, 1981 (43)
109) Fran Brown, Syracuse Orange | Feb. 3, 1982 (43)
110) Jon Sumrall, Tulane Green Wave | Jul. 5, 1982 (43)
111) Trent Bray, Oregon State Beavers | Sept. 28, 1982 (42)
112) Matt Drinkall, Central Michigan Chippewas | Nov. 8, 1982 (42)
113) Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri Tigers | Apr. 12, 1983 (42)
114) Charles Huff, Southern Miss Golden Eagles | Apr. 26, 1983 (42)
115) Rhett Lashlee, SMU Mustangs | Jun. 9, 1983 (42)
116) Ryan Carty, Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens | Aug. 9, 1983 (42)
117) Jake Dickert, Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Aug. 23, 1983 (42)
118) Lincoln Riley, USC Trojans | Sept. 5, 1983 (42)
119) Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State Bulldogs | Jan. 5, 1984 (41)
120) Alex Golesh, South Florida Bulls | Jun. 24, 1984 (41)
121) David Braun, Northwestern Wildcats | Apr. 2, 1985 (40)
122) Michael Desormeaux, Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns | Sept. 29, 1985 (39)
123) Eric Morris, North Texas Mean Green | Oct. 26, 1985 (39)
124) Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame Fighting Irish | Jan. 10, 1986 (39)
125) Sherrone Moore, Michigan Wolverines | Feb. 3, 1966 (39)
126) Dan Lanning, Oregon Ducks | Apr. 10, 1986 (39)
127) Sean Lewis, San Diego State Aztecs | Apr. 11, 1986 (39)
128) Joe Harasymiak, UMass Minutemen | Jun. 23, 1986 (39)
129) Jimmy Rogers, Washington State Cougars | Mar. 1, 1987 (38)
130) Spencer Danielson, Boise State Broncos | Nov. 2, 1988 (36)
131) G. J. Kinne, Texas State Bobcats | Dec. 1, 1988 (36)
132) Ryan Beard, Missouri State Bears | Jun. 3, 1989 (36)
133) Tre Lamb, Tulsa Golden Hurricane | Sept. 16, 1989 (36)
134) Scotty Walden, UTEP Miners | Nov. 15, 1989 (35)
135) Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State Sun Devils | Apr. 28, 1990 (35)
136) Zach Kittley, Florida Atlantic Owls | Aug. 14, 1991 (34)
