Tremendous Bowl or Senior Citizen Bowl? Older coaches are having a second within the NFL

The faculty all-star sport performed Saturday in Cell, Ala., known as the Senior Bowl, however the sport between the Chiefs and Eagles per week from Sunday in New Orleans could possibly be referred to as the Senior Citizen Bowl.

Whereas the Sean McVay impact stays actual (see the hirings of 38-year-old Ben Johnson and 39-year-old Liam Coen), coaches who’re sufficiently old to be McVay’s father might dominate the Tremendous Bowl.

Foremost amongst them is Andy Reid. He was as soon as the McVay of his day, the second-youngest head coach within the NFL. Now, at 66, he strikes a bit of slower on his approach to the rostrum to just accept his trophies however makes the stroll extra steadily.

And oldest Andy could possibly be finest Andy.

“I actually really feel after we gained the primary Tremendous Bowl (5 years in the past), one thing modified with Andy,” says Chiefs particular groups coach Dave Toub, who has coached with Reid for 20 seasons. “There was a story on the market he couldn’t recover from the massive one. As soon as that burden was gone, I seen he was extra relaxed and extra open to refined modifications in the way in which we dealt with the gamers.”

Now, Toub says, Reid stays agency on his core beliefs however is extra prepared to make concessions for youth.

Probably the most completed coaches in historical past, Reid is considered one of 5 finalists for the Related Press Coach of the Yr and can let you know his teaching workers is without doubt one of the causes he wins a lot.

His defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, at 65, might be competing for his fifth Tremendous Bowl ring, and he already has greater than any coordinator ever.

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After the AFC Championship Sport, defensive sort out Chris Jones mentioned the Chiefs will proceed to win so long as they keep Spagnuolo. That appears doubtless, as staff house owners appear to suppose that age is greater than a quantity with Spagnuolo, the one-time head coach of the Rams. Earlier than interviewing for the top teaching jobs of the Jets and Jaguars this 12 months, Spagnuolo had not had a head teaching interview in 16 years (apart from a token interview with the Giants after he completed the 2017 season as their interim head coach).

Aggressiveness is usually related to youth, however no person blitzes like Spagnuolo. His nook blitz on fourth down towards the Payments within the closing minutes of the AFC Championship Sport helped seal the Chiefs’ win.


The Chiefs’ Andy Reid, 66, was the oldest head coach within the NFL in 2024, however he gained’t be subsequent season. (Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Photographs)

If Spagnuolo is just not probably the most revered defensive coordinator within the NFL, Vic Fangio could also be. Fangio, 66, reportedly is the highest-paid defensive coordinator within the league, and he earned his cash by teaching the protection that led the league in fewest yards allowed. The Eagles additionally ranked second in fewest factors allowed, ending 23 factors forward of the Chiefs.

It’s typical for Fangio, whose defenses have completed within the prime 10 of fewest factors allowed in 9 of the previous 13 seasons. Fangio, nonetheless, has by no means gained a Tremendous Bowl. He got here shut in 2022 as a marketing consultant to the Eagles — however Reid and Spagnuolo acquired the rings that season because the Chiefs beat the Eagles within the Tremendous Bowl.

Final January, Fangio left the Dolphins after one season, with some pushing the narrative that he didn’t get together with some gamers as a result of he yelled at them to get off his garden. There have been no such murmurs in Philadelphia, the place defensive finish Nolan Smith says he’s a “mastermind.”

If somebody goes to name Fangio, Spagnuolo or Reid outdated, it isn’t going to be McVay.

“All three coaches have been the usual for what it seems prefer to be nice coaches who join with their gamers and maximize their talents 12 months in and 12 months out whereas remaining on the innovative schematically with the evolution of the sport,” says McVay, 39. “Their agility 12 months in and 12 months out whereas having a dedication to core beliefs and philosophies is a real separator.”

Neither the Chiefs nor the Eagles is likely to be within the Tremendous Bowl with out two different assistant coaches on the excessive facet of 60.

Toub, 62, is the Chiefs’ particular groups model of Spagnuolo. Toub’s schemes have dominated kicks, kick coverages and returns for 23 NFL seasons. The Chiefs, it could be argued, won’t nonetheless be standing if not for Toub, who designed performs that resulted in blocked area objective makes an attempt towards the Broncos in November and the Texans within the playoffs. The Chiefs additionally gained three video games on walk-off area targets with three gamers making the kicks.

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Some contemplate the Eagles’ offensive line the best within the NFL. One motive is the coach who presides over it. Jeff Stoutland, 62, is so valued by Eagles administration that he has been retained by means of three head teaching regimes.

His gamers have mad respect for him too.

“He’s form of just like the Mickey character from the ‘Rocky’ motion pictures,” Eagles proper sort out Lane Johnson says. “Generally he’s very humorous with these humorous sayings. However then he’s intense. He’s relentless in how he approaches the sport, and that’s what it’s important to should get the perfect out of your guys.”

In 2024, Reid was considered one of six NFL head coaches over 60. The others have been Todd Bowles, Jim Harbaugh, John Harbaugh, Mike McCarthy and Sean Payton. All however McCarthy led their groups to the playoffs.

Reid was the oldest head coach within the NFL this season. Subsequent season, he would be the second-oldest as a result of the Raiders employed 73-year-old Pete Carroll.


Pete Carroll is again within the sport at age 73, taking up as head coach of the Raiders. (Ethan Miller / Getty Photographs)

After the 2023 season, Carroll’s 14th in Seattle, the Seahawks tried to provide him the gold watch therapy. However Carroll retains time otherwise than most.

Raiders proprietor Mark Davis referenced Carroll’s “superb” vitality at Carroll’s introductory information convention. Throughout Seahawks practices, Carroll didn’t experience round in a golf cart, but when another person did, they risked getting run over by Carroll, who was nonstop movement. Operating sprints and taking part in catch have been a part of his routine, and he sometimes took apply reps at quarterback.

Carroll will turn into the oldest coach in NFL historical past when the season kicks off, beating a report held by Romeo Crennel, who coached the Texans in 2020 at 73 (he’s 68 days older than Carroll). Carroll coached at 72, as did George Halas and Marv Levy.

Between the ages of 65 and 68, Levy led the Payments to 4 AFC championships whereas jogging three miles a day. He believes he did his finest teaching in that timespan.

“By then, I had numerous nice expertise,” he says. “I had labored with some advantageous guys like George Allen and competed towards guys I held in very excessive regard like Don Shula. However there’s a span that governs perhaps 25 years that you could be on prime of the sport.”

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Levy retired at 73, then later mentioned he left too quickly. At 80, he turned the staff’s common supervisor. Now 99, Levy makes use of a walker however stays sturdy sufficient to take a day by day stroll of about half-hour. In October, 9 gamers from his Tremendous Bowl groups, together with corridor of famers Jim Kelly, Andre Reed, Bruce Smith and Thurman Thomas, visited him in Chicago to rejoice his life.

Levy believes at the moment’s senior coaches are able to greater than senior coaches of generations previous.

“We’ve benefited from great drugs and residing situations, so coaches might be older now and may handle higher,” he says. “We’ve even had presidents older than I used to be after I retired from teaching.”

As individuals age, they often turn into forgetful. However in a sport that usually rewards a brief reminiscence, it has not been an issue for Reid, a meticulous note-taker.

If there are drawbacks to being a 66-year-old head coach, it’s protected to say the advantages outweigh them for Reid.

Foremost among the many advantages, in fact, is expertise.

“It’s crucial,” says Tom Moore, the 86-year-old offensive marketing consultant for the Bucs who just lately introduced he’ll return for his forty sixth NFL season. “What jumps out to me is these coaches within the Tremendous Bowl have achieved a fantastic job of understanding what the individuals they’ve can do, placing them within the correct locations and designing the schemes to facilitate the gamers’ talents. That comes with expertise.”

Spagnuolo says that probably the most clever individuals he has encountered have a wealth of expertise — which normally means they’ve overcome setbacks.

“I imagine we’re seeing that these examined within the hearth of this career over a protracted time frame and keep true to who they’re finally discover success,” he says.

Moore shares his perception in a brand new guide with Rick Stroud entitled, “The Gamers’ Coach: From Bradshaw to Manning, Brady, and Past.”

Moore enjoys crushing stereotypes about older coaches.

Not sufficient exuberance to maintain tempo with the children? He’s the primary within the workplace at 3 a.m.

Can’t relate to Gen Z? Moore meets with gamers who’re six a long time youthful day by day, speaking about life as a lot as ball.

Caught in yesterday’s sport? He prides himself on evolving philosophically.

“Hell, I’m 86 years outdated and nonetheless studying each day,” he says. “And it’s a tribute to coaches like Andy as a result of they’re nonetheless studying and prepared to regulate to new developments. They’re versatile, and that’s the important thing.”

Knowledge that may solely be developed over time could also be valued extra by NFL groups nowadays.

Final week Chuck Pagano was in his fifth 12 months of a blissful retirement, clowning together with his former punter on “The Pat McAfee Present” and posting pictures of himself together with his grandchildren on social media.

This week, he’s the senior secondary coach of the Ravens.

Pagano is 64.

Older coaches clearly are having a second.

Simply don’t name it a senior second.

(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; pictures of Vic Fangio and Steve Spagnuolo: Mitchell Leff, David Eulitt / Getty Photographs)

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