There are 10 head coaches in division I men’s basketball who are 68 and older, and even three that have already pushed past 70 heading into the 2016-2017 season: Cliff Ellis of Coastal Carolina, Steve Fisher of San Diego State and Jim Boeheim of Syracuse, while Mike Krzyzewski is right behind them.
Fran Dunphy, Temple: 68
Born on October 5, 1948, Dunphy has been a head coach at the division I level since 1989. He coached Penn from 1989 to 2006, taking them to nine NCAA tournaments. Since taking the Temple job, he’s been to the tourney 7 times, winning his first American conference regular season championship with the Owls last season.
Fran O’Hanlon, Lafayette: 68
O’Hanlon played in Sweden after his college playing career, and won championships there and in Venezuela as a head coach. He coached in Israel as well, and then at high school level. He was an assistant at Penn from 1989 to 1995, and then was hired to coach the Leopards. Since taking over they’re been to the NCAA tournament three times, last time in 2015. Lafayette were only 6-24, O’Hanlon’s worst season at the helm. He was born on August 24, 1948.
Leonard Hamilton, Florida State: 68
Hamilton was born on August 4, 1948, and has actually coached in the NBA for one season, going 19-63 with the Washington Wizards back in 2000-2001. He was the Oklahoma State and Miami coach before taking the Seminoles job in 2002. He led FSU to win the ACC tournament in 2012, and helped them to the Sweet Sixteen in 2011.
Dan D’Antoni, Marshall: 69
The older brother of the more famous Mike D’Antoni, Dan was born on July 9, 1947. A point guard for Marshall during the late 60’s, he was a high school coach for 30 years before joining his brother and serving as an assistant on the Suns, Knicks and Lakers. He took over the Marshall job in 2014, so far posting a 28-37 record with the Thundering Herd.
Ken Burmeister, Incarnate Word: 69
Burmeister, born on June 3, 1947, has been coaching the Cardinals since their division II days. At division I level he coached both UTSA and Loyola. He is 55-29 with Incarnate Word since joining the Southland conference.
Dave Loos, Austin Peay State: 69
Loos was a head coach at Christian Brothers in the mid 80’s, and started coaching the Governors men’s basketball team in 1990. Since then, he’s led them to 5 Ohio Valley Conference regular season titles and four tournament championships. They’ve been to the NCAA Tournament four times, including last year, their first since 2008. Loos was born on March 5, 1947.
Mike Krzyzewski, Duke: 69
Born on February 13, 1947, Coach K pretty much put Duke basketball on the map, and has turned the program into the most successful in college basketball over the last 35 years. This includes five national titles since taking the job in 1980, and making the Final Four 12 times, including losing in the championship game four times. Krzyzewski has just finished his 10-year term with the national basketball team, winning three Olympic gold medals and two World championships.
Cliff Ellis, Coastal Carolina: 70
Ellis, born on December 5, 1945, coached Cumberland, South Alabama (two NCAA tournaments), Clemson (one Sweet Sixteen) and Auburn (two Sweet Sixteens, one SEC regular season title, AP Coach of the year in 1999) before taking the job in Conway with the Chanticleers in 2007. He’s won the Big South regular season title twice and the conference tournament title twice, going to the NCAA Tournament second round a couple of times.
Steve Fisher, San Diego State: 71
Fisher, born on March 24, 1945, is mostly known for his time as the Michigan head coach, which included winning the 1989 NCAA Tournament (he was an interim coach) and his turbulent time in the Fab Five era, which included losing in the NCAA Tournament final back-to-back in 1992 and 1993. Many of the wins and seasons during those years were later vacated by the school. Fisher left Michigan in 1997, and took the Aztecs job in 1999. He’s gone to the NCAA Tournament 8 times with San Diego State, including making it to the Sweet Sixteen twice. They’ve won the Mountain West regular season title four times in the last five years.
Jim Boeheim, Syracuse: 71
The oldest head coach in Division I, Boeheim has been the Syracuse head coach since 1976, when they were a division I independent school, joining the old Big East in 1979 (they’ve been in the ACC since 2013). There have been plenty of vacated wins over the years, the last of them in the 2011-2012 season. There have also been plenty of achievements, including winning the NCAA Tournament in 2003, making two more championship games and the Final Four five times, including in 2016. Boeheim’s official NCAA record is 888-347 (.719), accounting for the aforementioned 101 vacated wins. He was born on November 17, 1944.