It was a lot of fun working on these visualizations, the first big-swing one-off interactive graphics project our @theathletic.bsky.social graphics team has published. So much extra work was done by my team to also present quotes and conversations in a visually accessible and engaging way

But no two coaches' histories are the same — we also visualize each and every NFL head coach and coordinator's full coaching career histories, per pro-football-reference.com.

Each coach's segment tells a story within the broader dynamics visible in the chart as a whole.

Evidence of the NFL youth movement is strongest within offensive ranks — offensive coordinators today are (on average) a decade younger than their counterparts 20 years ago.

Fewer coaches are spending years in college ranks before getting their shot in the NFL. Kevin Stefanski has a emblematic modern career path — starting as an NFL assistant and rising through the ranks.

First, we plot each and every NFL head coach and coordinator by age since the 2000 season, seeing a clear drop in average age — especially amongst offensive coordinators.

You can also hover to see more info on a year, or search to see an individual coach's trajectory.

NFL coaches are getting younger — but what are the dynamics behind this trend? How did we get here, and how have NFL coaches gotten where they are?

@sandonfl.bsky.social and I dive into the NFL's youth revolution along with some fun, detailed interactive visuals

nytimes.com/athletic/593...