We're nearly a month into the college football season, which means hiring season is closer than we're all ready to admit. When hiring a coordinator, are you better off seeking an experienced mind, or rolling the dice with a bright, young mind? While there are certainly a number of success stories on either end of the spectrum, the numbers we found indicate you're better off veering younger.
We looked at the coordinators for the top 10 scoring offenses and defenses over both the 2013 and (admittedly young) 2014 season, and our numbers indicate the target area for coordinator hiring is somewhere around the late 30's or early 40's.
The logic behind that makes sense. At 40, a coach is entering the sweet spot of his career. He's experienced enough to develop a firm idea in his identity and his scheme, but still young enough to stay on the cutting edge schematically and relate to players and recruits.
Offensive coordinators, 2013 top 10 scoring offenses
Median age: 40.5
Offensive coordinators, 2014 top 10 scoring offenses
Median age: 41
Defensive coordinators, 2013 top 10 scoring defenses
Median age: 43
Defensive coordinators, 2014 top 10 scoring defenses
Median age: 52
* Estimated age
The median age jumps a decade, but this one needs to be chalked up to sample size issues. That is, unless you believe Duke, Texas A&M, Temple and others will end the season ranked around where they are now.
Let's check again in a couple months and see what the numbers say.