What were top coaches doing at the age Oklahoma hired Lincoln Riley?

The most shocking news of the college football offseason was Bob Stoops' sudden retirement as Oklahoma head coach.

Almost equally as shocking was the fact 33-year-old Lincoln Riley was pegged as his replacement, despite zero head coaching experience.

While Riley's accomplishments as an offensive coordinator speak for themselves, it's incredibly rare for a 33-year-old to be head coach of any FBS program, let alone one as powerful as Oklahoma.

For the sake of comparison, here's what some of the top coaches in the country were doing when they were the same age as Riley.

Nick Saban

Age: 65
First HC job: Toledo (age 38)
Job at age 33: Michigan State defensive coordinator
Job when Riley was born: Michigan State defensive coordinator
Record in 1st year: 9-2

It seems odd to remember a time when Nick Saban wasn't running a football program, but he was still five years away from his first head coaching position at age 33. Saban was the defensive coordinator at Michigan State, a school he'd later return to as head coach at age 44.

Urban Meyer

Age: 52
First HC job: Bowling Green (age 36)
Job at age 33: Notre Dame wide receivers coach
Job when Riley was born: Playing baseball in Atlanta Braves organization
Record in 1st year: 8-3

Urban Meyer has posted an incredible record as head coach at every single one of his four collegiate stops, but even he didn't get his first program until age 36. Meyer was serving as Notre Dame wide receivers coach at age 33, and was actually playing professional baseball when Riley was born.

Jim Harbaugh

Age: 53
First HC job: University of San Diego
Job at age 33: Indianapolis Colts quarterback
Job when Riley was born: Playing quarterback at Michigan
Record in 1st year: 7-4

Jim Harbaugh wasn't coaching football at age 33, but he certainly was the leader of a team - the Michigan coach was playing quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts. After retiring as a player, Harbaugh served as an assistant with the Oakland Raiders before taking his first head coaching job at the University of San Diego at age 41.

Bill Snyder

Age: 77
First College HC job: Kansas State (age 49)
Job at age 33: Santa Ana Foothill High School head coach
Job when Riley was born: Iowa offensive coordinator
Record in 1st year: 1-10

Riley is now the youngest active coach at the FBS level, and he's 44 years younger than Kansas State frontman Bill Snyder. Snyder was a head coach at the same age as Riley, but it was at the high school level in California.

Dabo Swinney

Age: 47
First HC job: Clemson (age 38)
Job at age 33: Working for an Alabama real estate firm
Job when Riley was born: High school student
Record in 1st year: 9-5

Perhaps the best story of a top coach involved in something other than football at age 33 is Clemson's Dabo Swinney. The reigning national champion worked for a real estate firm in Alabama before joining Clemson as an assistant. That would eventually turn into the head coaching job by the time he turned 38.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)