Though you wouldn't know it from looking at them, Pete Carroll was -- and still is -- older than Bill Belichick. The bouncy, eternally-bubbly Seahawks coach has his grim-faced cross-country counterpart by seven months.
Seattle was bound to get younger at that position with Carroll transitioning from head coach to advisor, but on Wednesday they got significantly younger.
The club has chosen Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald as its new head coach.
Born June 26, 1987, Macdonald is the youngest active NFL head coach. Part of the same high school graduating class as the person who wrote this article, Macdonald started coaching high school football as an undergraduate at Georgia, then moved into a GA role on Mark Richt's Bulldogs staff in 2010 -- the same year Carroll took the Seahawks job.
He's spent his entire career working for Richt or a Harbaugh brother. He spent 2011-13 as a quality control at Georgia, then became an intern with the Baltimore Ravens in 2014. Macdonald then rose to a defensive assistant, then to defensive backs coach, and then to linebackers coach.
Macdonald spent 2021 as Jim Harbaugh's defensive coordinator at Michigan, then returned to work the same job for John in 2022. The Ravens boasted the NFL's No. 1 defense across the board this fall.
With the Macdonald hire, the Patriots move to an ironic position. New England replaced the second-oldest active head coach with the second-youngest; Jerod Mayo was born Feb. 23, 1986, one month after Sean McVay, who returns for his eighth year with the Rams next fall.
NFL Head Coaches in Their 30s
Mike Macdonald, Seahawks: 36 (June 26, 1987)
Jerod Mayo, Patriots: 37 (Feb. 23, 1986)
Sean McVay, Rams: 38 (Jan. 24, 1986)
Shane Steichen, Colts: 38 (May 11, 1985)
Kevin O'Connell, Vikings: 38 (May 25, 1985)
Brian Callahan, Titans: 39 (June 10, 1984)
DeMeco Ryans, Texans: 39 (July 28, 1984)
With the Washington job still open, the oldest active NFL head coach is Kansas City's Andy Reid. The 2-, and perhaps 3-time, Super Bowl champion turns 66 in March.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.