Best College Football Coaches Under 40 Years Old
Rising up the employment ladder often involves "paying your dues." College football is a terrific application of that phrase.
Several young coaches have already climbed the ranks and toppled the old guard before reaching the age of 40. While they may still oversee a specific position, each of the coaches included are at least coordinators.
After a brief overview of the top coordinators, we'll highlight the best head coaches under 40.
Additionally, we've also pointed out a few coaches who are closing in on the mark. Why? Because that group is full of excellent names, and they'd look like glaring omissions otherwise.
Coordinators
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Lincoln Riley, 32, Oklahoma: Although he started to gain mainstream recognition in 2015, Lincoln Riley established himself as one of the nation's best offensive coordinators at East Carolina. Riley moved to Oklahoma last season, helping Baker Mayfield and Co. reach the College Football Playoff.
Sonny Cumbie, 34, TCU: A former teammate of Riley's at Texas Tech, Sonny Cumbie is the co-offensive coordinator at TCU, where he assists play-caller Doug Meacham. There's little doubt Cumbie—who's been connected to Texas and Oklahoma—will get a shot.
Mike Sanford Jr., 34, Notre Dame: When a broken right ankle ended Malik Zaire's season, redshirt freshman DeShone Kizer put together an unexpectedly great year. Mike Sanford Jr., the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, deserves a share of the praise.
Jake Spavital, 31, Cal: The 2015 campaign wasn't kind to Jake Spavital, but he landed in an ideal spot after parting ways with Texas A&M. Just 31, Spavital has worked with college stars Brandon Weeden, Geno Smith and Johnny Manziel.
Kendal Briles, 33, Baylor: Whether the fallout at Baylor should have included assistants is a delicate discussion, because we don't know all the details. But it appears most of the staff will be back, most notably offensive coordinator Kendal Briles.
Since he became the passing game coordinator in 2012, the Bears have finished first or second nationally in total offense each year. The 33-year-old will have complete control of the offense this year.
First-Year Head Coaches
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D.J. Durkin, 38, Maryland: There aren't many coaches who can boast two tenures with both Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh. D.J. Durkin was a graduate assistant (Bowling Green) and special teams coordinator (Florida) for Meyer, as well as the special teams coordinator (Stanford) and defensive coordinator (Michigan) for Harbaugh. He accepted the job at Maryland this offseason.
Mike Norvell, 34, Memphis: Mike Norvell spent four seasons as the offensive coordinator at Arizona State before heading to Memphis. Under Norvell, the Sun Devils notched four consecutive top-40 offenses and never averaged fewer than 34.6 points.
Scottie Montgomery, 38, East Carolina: A former Duke receiver, Scottie Montgomery coached a total of seven years at his alma mater and three for the Pittsburgh Steelers prior to his current gig. The removal of East Carolina alum Ruffin McNeill was a surprise, so Montgomery will try to meet lofty expectations.
Tyson Summers, 36, Georgia Southern: The defensive-minded coach has taken over a strong offensive team. Tyson Summers was the defensive coordinator at UCF (2014) and Colorado State (2015) before assuming control of Georgia Southern.
Happy 40th Birthday
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Six notable coaches are hitting the 40-year mark in 2016.
Justin Fuente, Virginia Tech: Justin Fuente was a rising star heading into the 2015 season. Fuente rode Memphis' strong year, which included an upset of Ole Miss, to an offer from Virginia Tech to replace longtime head coach Frank Beamer.
Willie Taggart, South Florida: The Harbaugh connection is strong. After playing quarterback and coaching with Jack Harbaugh at Western Kentucky, Willie Taggart served under Jim Harbaugh at Stanford. Taggart returned to lead WKU from 2010 to 2012 and has since rebuilt South Florida.
Dave Aranda, LSU: Dave Aranda began his coaching career as a teenager. Twenty years later, he's passed through Texas Tech, Houston, Hawaii, Utah State and Wisconsin (among others) to reach the defensive coordinator position at LSU. Considering the roster's talent, excellence is expected from Aranda this season.
Bryan Harsin, Boise State: An alumnus of Boise State, Bryan Harsin took advantage of his first opportunity at Arkansas State in 2013 and won a conference title. He moved to Boise State in 2014 and did the same. Following a 9-4 season, the Broncos are a Mountain West favorite in 2016.
Barry Odom, Missouri: Barry Odom, like Taggart and Harsin, graduated from the school at which he's now coaching. Last season as Missouri's defensive coordinator, the unit surrendered the sixth-fewest yards and fifth-fewest points per game nationally.
Justin Wilcox, Wisconsin: He's bounced around from Boise State to Tennessee and Washington to USC, but Justin Wilcox has consistently fielded top-50 scoring defenses. Wilcox is Aranda's replacement in Madison, where defense is the program's calling card.
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Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech
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Age: 36
Texas Tech desperately needs a more effective defense, but Kliff Kingsbury has built a dynamic attack in Lubbock.
After helping Houston's Case Keenum break some of his own FBS record seasons, Kingsbury oversaw Johnny Manziel's breakout year for Texas A&M. He then made the leap from coordinator to head coach, landing at his alma mater.
The Red Raiders have posted three straight top-10 finishes in total offense. With dual-threat standout Patrick Mahomes II under center for 2016, the streak is practically a lock to reach four.
However, Kingsbury is just 10-17 against Big 12 competition and 19-19 overall. The scoring success is great, but Texas Tech needs an improved defense to compete for a conference crown—and to keep Kingsbury at the helm.
Matt Campbell, Iowa State
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Age: 36
Following four strong years with Toledo, it was time for Matt Campbell to chase major-conference success. He amassed a 35-15 record, two MAC championships and two bowl victories.
Prior to Iowa State, he won three Division III national titles as a player at powerhouse Mount Union. Campbell coached for Bowling Green before rising through the ranks at Toledo.
Campbell's arrival in Ames has sparked a recruiting surge. For only the second time since 2008, the Cyclones didn't finish with the Big 12's worst or second-worst class. This year, they landed at No. 4 in the conference.
While even a four-win 2016 season would be commendable, Iowa State is also well-positioned to rise next year. Campbell should pay immediate dividends and keep the Cyclones on an upward trend, perhaps toward the second tier of the Big 12.
P.J. Fleck, Western Michigan
6 of 6Age: 35
Most people who played organized sports for a long time remember a coach they'd run through a brick wall for.
Well, P.J. Fleck might bulldoze it first.
Entering his fourth year at Western Michigan, Fleck has catch-phrased his way through building a reputable program. The Broncos went 1-11 during Fleck's debut season, but they've since recorded a pair of eight-win seasons and are a leading contender in 2016.
Most importantly, he's consistently dominated the recruiting trail. Fleck has notched three straight No. 1 classes in the MAC and is currently running away with a fourth.
The question isn't whether Fleck receives a big opportunity. Rather, we're wondering when he'll decide to let someone else "row the boat" and pursue a power-conference gig.
All recruiting information via 247Sports. Stats from cfbstats.com or B/R research. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow Bleacher Report College Football Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.
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