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Oldest NFL head coaches: Pete Carroll to break record after reported Raiders hiring
The Las Vegas Raiders were linked to Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson – who was set to become one of the youngest coaches in the NFL – during the 2025 offseason before he landed with the Chicago Bears.
Now, Las Vegas appears set to pivot to the oldest coach in NFL history to lead its operation in 2025.
The Raiders are reportedly hiring former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll to take on the same position with their franchise. Carroll will return to the NFL after spending a year out of football and being replaced in Seattle by Mike Macdonald, who currently ranks as the NFL's youngest head coach.
Las Vegas' decision gives the team a proven winner, as Carroll led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl 48 victory over the Denver Broncos and posted a 170-120-1 record in his 18 seasons as an NFL head coach. It also will allow Carroll to make history as he looks to provide Mark Davis' team with some much-needed stability.
How old is Pete Carroll? Here's what to know about the veteran coach's age as he takes over the Raiders.
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How old is Pete Carroll?
Carroll is 73 years and 131 days old as of Jan. 24, 2025, when it was reported he would become the next head coach of the Raiders. He will turn 74 on Sept. 15, 2025, the same date as ESPN's scheduled "Monday Night Football" broadcast for NFL Week 2.
As such, Carroll will become the oldest coach in NFL history once he coaches the Raiders' Week 1 game.
Oldest NFL coaches of all time
Romeo Crennel presently ranks as the oldest person to coach an NFL game. He was 73 years, 199 days old when the Houston Texans lost 41-38 to the Tennessee Titans in Week 17 of the 2020 NFL season in his final game as the team's interim head coach.
Carroll currently ranks fourth on the list of the oldest coaches in NFL history based on when he coached his most recent game. Below is a look at the five oldest head coaches of all time.
Romeo Crennel, Houston Texans: 73 years, 199 days
George Halas, Chicago Bears: 72 years, 318 days
Marv Levy, Buffalo Bills: 72 years, 139 days
Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks: 72 years, 117 days
Bill Belichick, New England Patriots: 71 years, 269 days
Carroll will leapfrog Levy, Halas and Crennel and move up to No. 1 on this list when he coaches the Raiders' Week 1 game.
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Oldest NFL coaches for 2025
There NFL's coach hiring cycle for 2025 is not yet complete. As of Carroll's reported hiring, 30 of the 32 NFL head coaching vacancy have been filled, with the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys being the lone teams still searching for a leader.
Naturally, Carroll will be the NFL's oldest head coach in 2025. Only six current hires will be 60 or older when the season begins, including all four coaches from the AFC West.
Below is a look at who will join Carroll on the full list of the oldest coaches for the season, pending the hires in Dallas and New Orleans. All listed ages are of Jan. 24, 2025:
Pete Carroll, Las Vegas Raiders: 73 years, 131 days
Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs: 66 years, 311 days
John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens: 62 years, 123 days
Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 61 years, 67 days
Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles Chargers: 61 years, 32 days
Sean Payton, Denver Broncos: 61 years, 26 days
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oldest NFL head coaches: Pete Carroll to break NFL record with Raiders
