When Pete Carroll coaches the season opener for the Las Vegas Raiders against the New England Patriots on September 7, 2025, he will be the oldest person to ever coach an NFL game at 74 years of age.
The Raiders obviously knew this when they hired him. It seems to go against conventional wisdom to bring in someone very old for an NFL Coach to facilitate a rebuild, when you’re undoubtedly trying to create a sustainable contender like the Raiders are.
But Carroll was the man for the job because despite being nearly 75, he has the energy of a 25 year old. Raiders fans have seen that in several viral moments early this offseason, and it came even more into focus on Wednesday July 2, 2025.
In an article from The Athletic by Michael-Shawn Dugar and Tashan Reed called “How Raiders coach Pete Carroll, the NFL’s Benjamin Button, is aging so gracefully,” the writers reveal some of the strategies and secrets behind Carroll’s ability to stay so energetic at such an old age.
The two secrets for Carroll, according to the article, are diet and mindset. And no, the secret is not a lot of caffeine.
Apparently, Carroll used to drink a lot of caffeine and eat a lot of sugar in his younger years, but his former player at USC and longtime assistant coach Ben Malcolmson said that Carroll has cut back on the Mountain Dew, and he now has MORE energy because of it.
As for mindset, Carroll just believes that his age doesn’t need to limit or define him. He always competes, believes he has more to accomplish, and doesn’t believe that he ever has to show signs of old age.
“It’s about competing and proving that you have value, you have worth,” Carroll said at his introductory news conference in January (h/t The Athletic). “I don’t care how old you are. For anybody out there that’s old and wants to know how you do it, you freaking battle every day, and you compete and you find your way to get better.”
The Article Also Explores Carroll’s Relationship Skills
It’s no secret that Pete Carroll is one of the most beloved NFL coaches by his players. But people have wondered just how he does it.
The Athletic article also gave fans a look into that aspect of Carroll’s style. Apparently, Carroll motivates his players with positive affirmations rather than praying on their fear of failure.
Carroll also puts his faith in young players by playing them early, and puts an immense amount of effort into getting to know and relate to his players as human beings.
Whether that is staying up on popular culture and music or getting to know the children of his players, Carroll is all about getting to know who the players are at their core and encouraging them to be themselves.
Can Carroll Turn the Raiders Into A Playoff Contender in 2025?
Carroll has made it known that he doesn’t just want to build the Raiders into a Super Bowl contender, he wants to do it now.
Even though Carroll may not act his age, he does know that time isn’t exactly on his side. So if he’s going to lead the Raiders to a Super Bowl win, it needs to be within the next few seasons.
Carroll also said that his mindset is to compete for a Super Bowl every year, and he doesn’t know any other way to approach a season.
NFL experts are split over whether he will be able to do that, but Raiders fans are certainly excited to see him try.
