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The deans of D-I: The oldest coaches in men's college basketball – ESPN – ESPN
The average age of a Division I men’s basketball head coach in 2023 is 50. Then there are the outliers.
Scanning the entirety of Division I, we find: 50 coaches who are currently 60 years of age or older (think John Calipari, Bill Self, Mark Few and Brian Dutcher); 20 who clock in at 65 or above (e.g., Tom Izzo, Rick Barnes, Kelvin Sampson and Dana Altman); and, finally, a select group of six elder statesmen who have seen their 70th birthdays come and go.
It’s possible these six coaches stand out not only in relation to their peers but also compared to their predecessors. Comprehensive data from the past is incomplete, but if NCAA tournament champion head coaches from 1939 to 2023 are any guide, the profession as a whole might be as old as it has ever been.
Meet the seasoned six, counting down from youngest to, shall we say, most experienced:
6. Rick Pitino, St. John’s Red Storm
Age: 71; Career wins: 713
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