Top 10 youngest D-I coaches

Forget about old codgers such as Butler's Brad Stevens (born Oct. 22, 1976) or VCU's Shaka Smart (April 8, 1977). If you're looking for extreme youth in the coaching profession, Stevens and Smart already are too seasoned to qualify.

No, the 10 youngest head coaches in Division I were all born between May 27, 1977 (John Gallagher, Hartford) and Sept. 11, 1980 (Andrew Toole, Robert Morris). It's as though mid-major athletic directors everywhere are all working from the same script. Being young isn't a bad thing, certainly, but even with Stevens and Smart reaching the Final Four there still remains such a thing as being too young. And these days "too young to be hired as a head coach" is pretty clearly defined as anyone 29 years old or younger.

So who are these young guns? Thanks to the work provided to me by two indefatigable researchers, Nic Reiner-Parra and Corey Schmidt, we can say that the following up-and-comers appear to be the 10 youngest head coaches in Division I:

10. John Gallagher, Hartford (34 years old)
Key number: 4
Gallager went 11-20 this past season, his first as head coach, a record that included a slightly more respectable 7-9 mark in America East play. The bad news is that Hartford team featured four seniors in the starting lineup, meaning the Hawks are facing rebuilding in the season ahead. The good news is this particular rebuilding team has an excellent chance of improving in at least one area. Last season, as Gallagher looked on helplessly, Hartford shot just 57 percent at the free-throw line in conference play.

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John Gasaway

ESPN Insider

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• ESPN Insider college basketball contributor
• First began covering college hoops in 2004
• Has written for Basketball Prospectus and the Wall Street Journal