The 2024 season will mark the first time in nearly two decades that the Alabama Crimson Tide will be without legendary head coach Nick Saban. His decision to retire didn’t come as much of a surprise, given that he was 72 years old and stated that he felt like he wasn’t able to give his team all that he had.
Limitations that come from age don’t just hinder athletes, but coaches too. As the 2023 college football season approaches, millions of eyes will be trained on the SEC as the conference looks to remain the gold standard in the sport.
SEC head football coaches vary in experience, talents and abilities. However, they also represent a wide range of ages. How old is every SEC football head coach? Below, you can find the age and birthday of every head coach in the conference from youngest to oldest.
Mississippi State Bulldogs head football coach Jeff Lebby is the youngest coach in the conference at only 40 years old, born Jan. 1, 1984.
Eli Drinkwitz has done a tremendous job as the head coach of the Missouri Tigers. He’s among the youngest coaches in the conference at only 41 years old, born April 12, 1983.
Clark Leas is the man at the helm of the Vanderbilt Commodores football program. He’s been the team’s head coach for a few seasons now, but is still one of the youngest coaches in the conference at 42 years old, born Nov. 11, 1981.
The Florida Gators have had a tough time evolving under the leadership of relatively new head coach Billy Napier. Though he holds an important position as the head coach of a historical program, Napier is only 44 years old, born July 21, 1979.
Mike Elko is heading into his first season as the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies after spending a few seasons as the head coach of the Duke Blue Devils. Elko is 46 years old, born July 28, 1977.
Josh Heupel has done a solid job as the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers over the last few seasons. The former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback is on the younger side compared to other coaches in the conference at 46 years old, born March 22, 1978.
South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer looks to turn things around for the program in 2024 after a disappointing 2023 season. Beamer is 47 years old, born March 31, 1977.
After years of coaching under Nick Saban, Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart rivaled the legendary Alabama coach and there were ongoing debates regarding which one of the two was the best coach in the SEC. Now that Saban has retired, Smart is generally considered to be the top coach in the conference at 48 years old, born Dec. 23, 1975.
Former Washington Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer is heading into his first season in the SEC as the immediate successor to Nick Saban as the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide. The pressure in on for DeBoer in 2024 at 49 years old, born Oct. 24, 1974
Lane Kiffin, the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels, is one of the most energetic coaches in the league sits right around the middle in terms of age at 49 years old, born May 9, 1975.
Steve Sarkisian has boosted the Texas Longhorns football program to immeasurable heights and now has the team in a position to be a consistent contender for the College Football Playoff. He now transitions along with his program to the SEC at the age of 50, born March 8, 1974
Brent Venables is entering his third season as the head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners and, along with Texas, is making the move to the SEC. After working as a coordinator for the Clemson Tigers for a decade, Venables is a first-time head coach and enters the 2024 season at 53 years old, born Dec. 18, 1970.
Hugh Freeze is still getting started as the head coach of the Auburn Tigers, but is no stranger to being a head coach in the SEC. He’s on the older side when it comes to head coaches in the conference but is still only 54 years old, born Sept. 27, 1969.
Mark Stoops, the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats, has been with the program for over a decade. He is the all-time winningest coach in the program’s history at 56 years old, born July 8, 1967.
The head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, Sam Pittman, is the second-oldest head coach in the SEC and is roughly a month younger than the oldest head coach. At 62 years old, born Nov., 25, 1961, Pittman will look to lead the Razorbacks to a strong 2024 season and bounce back from an underachieving 2023 season.
Brian Kelly, the head coach of the LSU Tigers football program is the oldest coach in the SEC, but not by much. He’s just a little over a month older than Sam Pittman of Arkansas. Kelly is 62 years old, born Oct. 25, 1961.