Pete Carroll set to top this list of oldest NFL coaches ever after historic hiring by Raiders

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If wisdom truly does come with age, then the Las Vegas Raiders are going to have the smartest head coach in the NFL in 2025. After a job search that spanned 17 days, the Raiders have hired Pete Carroll, who is now set to become the oldest coach in NFL history.

When Carroll coached his final game with the Seattle Seahawks in 2023, he was 72 years old and 114 days, which made him the fourth-oldest person to ever coach in an NFL game. When he takes the field for the Raiders’ opener this year, which will be played on Sept. 7 or 8, he’ll be less than a week shy of his 74th birthday, which will make him the oldest coach in NFL history.

There have only been five coaches to make it pass the age of 70 in NFL history, and Carroll will be on the cusp of 74 when the 2025 season kicks off.

Here’s a look at how old the five oldest coaches were when they coached their final NFL game:

Romeo Crennel, Texans interim coach: 73 years, 199 days (Final game: Jan. 3, 2021)
George Halas, Bears: 72 years, 318 days (Final game: Dec. 17, 1968)
Marv Levy, Bills: 72 years, 139 days (Final game: Dec. 20, 1997)
Pete Carroll, Seahawks: 72 years, 114 days (Final game: Jan. 7, 2024)
Bill Belichick, Patriots: 71 years, 266 days (Final game: Jan. 7, 2024)

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Cody Benjamin

Carroll is currently fourth on the list, but he’ll shoot up to first as soon as he coaches his first game with the Raiders. Crennel holds the record, but he was Houston’s interim coach. If we only count coaches who were hired specifically to be the head coach, then the record belongs to Halas, which means Carroll will be breaking an age record that has stood for nearly 57 years.

Carroll will also now become the oldest active coach in the NFL. Here’s a look at the current list of the oldest coaches in the NFL (We’re only listing coaches who are at least 60).