College Football's Oldest and Youngest Coaches in 2016
Breaking into the college football world as a head coach is difficult, but staying within the ranks is even tougher.
Entering the 2016 campaign, there are 17 coaches who are 40 years old or younger, while 14 men are 60 or older. We're looking at the extreme ends of those age groups to find the youngest and oldest coaches in college football for the upcoming season.
More than 40 years separate the baby of the group from the elder statesman. The listâwhich used all 128 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches as the data setâhighlights the five youngest and five oldest.
Note: Age tracked as of Sept. 1, 2016.
Bill Snyder, Kansas State
1 of 10
Age: 76
In 1989, Bill Snyder took over a failing Kansas State program. The team had finished 3-40-1 during the previous four seasons, including a dreadful 0-21-1 combined mark in 1987 and 1988.
Four years later, the Wildcats returned to the AP Top 25 for the first time since 1970. Starting that season, they became a fixture in postseason play. Kansas State appeared in 11 straight bowls, winning a school-record 11 games six times in the process.
According to Douglas Kroll of NCAA.com, the achievement resulted in Snyder being called "the architect of the greatest turnaround in the history of college football."
Snyder initially retired in 2005, and the school immediately changed the name of the stadium in his honor. After three mediocre seasons from Ron Prince, Snyder returned to the sideline in 2009.
Heading into 2016, Snyder has recorded 193 career victories, which ranks 19th in major college football history.
Frank Solich, Ohio
2 of 10
Age: 71
Frank Solich played fullback at Nebraska in the 1960s and didn't stray far. After finishing his time on the roster, Solich stayed in state to coach high school footballâwhich lasted from 1966-1978.
He returned to his alma mater in 1979 and was an assistant coach for 19 seasons before taking the reins in 1998. Following a 9-4 debut, Solich posted three straight years of double-digit wins and ultimately finished 58-19 at Nebraska.
However, that mark wasn't good enough for a program accustomed to dominating the Big 12 conference. Solich took a year off before accepting a job at Ohio, where he's been since 2005.
Solich, 80-61 at Ohio, is one victory away from passing Bill Hess for the program's career wins record. Under Solich's watch, the Bobcats ended a 38-year bowl drought and have achieved bowl eligibility nine times in his 11 seasons.
Rocky Long, San Diego State
3 of 10
Age: 66
Rocky Long is a classic case of not knowing how good things are until they're gone. After spending 24 years as an assistant, Long accepted the chance to coach his alma mater, New Mexico.
The Lobos mustered a 3-9 mark during his first season (1998), but they added one victory each season until going 8-5 in 2003. New Mexico earned bowl eligibility in seven straight years, but a 4-8 record in 2008 ended Long's tenure. He was the program's winningest coach.
Long caught on at San Diego State and coordinated the defense for two years before replacing head coach Brady Hoke.Â
Through five seasons, Long is 43-23 with the Aztecs. San Diego State earned the Mountain West championship last year.
Nick Saban, Alabama
4 of 10
Age: 64
Only two coaches have ever hoisted the national championship trophy at two different schools: Urban Meyer and Nick Saban. The latter is the creator of a dynasty, but the road to dominance certainly wasn't without a few detours.
Saban's first gig came at Toledo in 1990, and the Rockets went 9-2. Following that season, he accepted an opportunity to serve as the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns. In 1995, Saban returned to college, taking over Michigan State.
Five years later, he started leading LSU. Saban went 48-16 and won the 2003 national title before bolting for the Miami Dolphins, coaching in the NFL for two years and then going to Alabama.
Entering season No. 10 in Tuscaloosa, he's secured four national championships and posted a 105-18 mark. Saban's 196 career wins ranks 18th all-time, and he'll likely move to 14th this year.
Jim Grobe, Baylor
5 of 10
Age: 64
Nobody expected Jim Grobe to have an FBS job in 2016, but the aftermath of the sexual assault investigation at Baylor resulted in the dismissal of head coach Art Briles.
Best known for his time with Wake Forest, Grobe began his head coaching career at Ohio in 1995. He guided the Bobcats for six seasons, posting a respectable 33-33-1 record.
He headed to Winston-Salem in 2001 and remained there for 13 years. The Demon Deacons won the ACC Championship Game in 2006 and reached five bowls under Grobe, who tied D.C. Walker for the program's career wins mark (77).
Grobe is likely a stopgap for Baylor. In the meantime, Grobe will improve on his 110 career victories.
Neal Brown, Troy
6 of 10
Age: 36
Neal Brown loves fast, faster and fastest. But you wouldn't know it from Troy's stats in 2015.
The Trojans recorded just over 66 plays per game. During a three-year stint as Texas Tech's offensive coordinator, though, Brown ran more than 80 plays per game in two seasons. While serving as Troy's OC in 2008-09, the program finished top 10 nationally in total plays.
As the personnel begins to match his philosophy, Brown will showcase an uptempo attack. Barring severe regression, his job should be safe for a while. Brown went 4-8 in his debut as head coach last year.
With Brown and a then-senior quarterback Brandon Silvers, Troy might be a Sun Belt contender in 2017.
Matt Campbell, Iowa State
7 of 10
Age: 36
Matt Campbell was an ideal hire for Iowa State.
A product of football powerhouse Mount Union, Campbell worked up the ladder as a position coach for Bowling Green, his alma mater and Toledo. He received a promotion to head coach in 2012, leading the Rockets for four successful seasons (35-15).
And the man can recruit.
The Rockets landed the No. 1 class in the MAC twice during his tenure and were consistently near the top. As of this writing, the Cyclones hold the No. 3 haul in the Big 12. No. 3! Iowa State!
Campbell might be around for a long time. He'll stick in Ames for several years, but what's next?
Jason Candle, Toledo
8 of 10
Age: 36
Campbell's replacement is Jason Candle, who took a similar path to his current position. Candle also played a portion of his career at Mount Union, coached there and headed to Toledo.
Over the last four years, he served as Campbell's offensive coordinator. The Rockets consistently showcased a balanced offense, and that should continue with Candle at the helm.
"When you have the opportunity to take over a program as a head coach, you don't always anticipate it to be in good shape," Candle said, according to Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated. "We're in pretty good shape right now."
After winning the 2015 Boca Raton Bowl as the interim head coach, Candle takes a 1-0 career record into his first season as a head coach.
P.J. Fleck, Western Michigan
9 of 10Age: 35
P.J. Fleck has Western Michigan on the verge of a breakthrough. After a 1-11 debut in 2013, he's guided the program to a pair of 8-5 finishes with one bowl victory.
The Broncos enter 2016 as MAC favorites, largely due to Fleck's recruiting success. Western Michigan has three straight top-rated classes in the conference and is headed toward a fourth.
Fleckâwho attended Northern Illinois and played for the San Francisco 49ersâis also perhaps the most energetic coach in the country.
"We want to have the same energy as him," quarterback Zach Terrell said, per Perry A. Farrell of the Detroit Free Press. "We want to get out there and do the things that he says and do it with as much energy, and have fun. That's what it's all about. The game is fun and he makes it fun for us."
Anyone else ending a practice in full pads?
Mike Norvell, Memphis
10 of 10
Age: 34
The wind has taken Mike Norvell all over the country in the last decade. Of course, that wind is Todd Graham.
Norvell joined Graham's staff at Tulsa in 2007, headed to Pittsburgh in 2011 and a year later moved to Arizona State, where he was the offensive coordinator. The Sun Devils had top-40 attacks during each of Norvell's four seasons directing the offense.
At Memphis, he doesn't need to overhaul the roster because former head coach Justin Fuente targeted recruits for a spread offense as well. The Tigers are in position to sustain their recent success.
Norvellâthe nation's youngest head coach by 317 daysâwill make his debut on Sept. 3 against Southeast Missouri State.
