When Alabama coach Nick Saban retired on Wednesday, college football lost not only its greatest winner of the last several years, but also one of its most-veteran and experienced coaches.

Saban is 72 and was the second-oldest FBS head coach in 2023, behind only North Carolina’s Mack Brown. Also 72, Brown was born Aug. 27, 1951, a little more than two months before Saban came into the world on Oct. 31, 1951.

Brown is expected to be back for the 2024 season, and remains the oldest active FBS coach. He’ll be 73 when the 2024 season begins.

Brown is older than Alabama’s Paul “Bear” Bryant was at the end of his career. Bryant retired at age 69 after the 1982 season, and died four weeks later on Jan. 26, 1983.

Penn State’s Joe Paterno coached until age 85, when he was fired in November 2011 amid the Jerry Sandusky scandal. Paterno died Jan. 22, 2012, due to cancer.

Florida State’s Bobby Bowden was 80 when he finally hung it up at the end of the 2009 season. Bowden lived another 11-plus years before dying at age 91 in 2021.

In addition to Saban, several of the other oldest FBS coaches retired or were fired during the 2023 season. Louisiana-Monroe’s Terry Bowden (67), Middle Tennessee’s Rick Stockstill (66), Wyoming’s Craig Bohl (65) and San Diego State’s Brady Hoke (65) also coached what might be their final games this past season.

For the record, Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer is 49 years old. That puts him right in the “middle of the curve” among FBS coaches in terms of age.

Here’s a list of the Top 10 oldest FBS coaches heading into the 2024 season:

1. Mack Brown, North Carolina (72)

2. Don Brown, UMass (68)

3. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa (68)

4. K.C. Keeler, Sam Houston (64)

5. Kyle Whittingham, Utah (64)

6. Willie Fritz, Houston (63)

7. Biff Poggi, Charlotte (63)

8. Brian Kelly, LSU (62)

9. Sam Pittman, Arkansas (62)

10. Jim Mora, Connecticut (62)