Kennesaw State hired Jerry Mack, the Jacksonville Jaguars running backs coach with 20 years of experience at the collegiate level, as the second head football coach in its history on Sunday.
Mack, 44, is in his first season with the Jaguars. He spent the previous three seasons coaching the same position at the University of Tennessee (2021-23). Mack served as head coach at FCS program North Carolina Central from 2014-17, winning three Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships and a berth in the 2016 Celebration Bowl in going 31-15.
“KSU is one of the fastest-growing institutions in the country with no ceiling on the potential opportunities it presents for our student-athletes,” Mack said in a statement released Sunday by the university. “I am grateful and honored to be entrusted as the leader and standard bearer of our team. I’m looking forward to helping our young men build on the success of our program, obtain degrees, win championships and develop into great citizens that our KSU family will be proud of.”
Kennesaw State fired Brian Bohannon, who created the program and was its only head coach, on Nov. 10 after the team fell to 1-8 in his 10th season. The Owls were first-year members of Conference USA in 2024.
Chandler Burks, the co-offensive coordinator and a former star quarterback for the Owls, served as interim head coach for the rest of the season. KSU lost two of the three remaining games, including 33-0 to Louisiana Tech on Saturday, to finish 2-10 overall, 2-6 in the conference.
Kennesaw State hired Bohannon in March 2013 to launch an FCS program, which made its debut in 2015 and quickly enjoyed success, going 49-10 from 2017-21. His teams won three Big South Conference titles and made four FCS playoff appearances.
Bohannon has a career record of 72-38, including 5-6 in the Atlantic Sun in 2022, and 3-6 in a transition season as an independent in 2023 before becoming an FBS program.
Mack’s experience as an assistant includes stops at Jackson State, Central Arkansas, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Memphis, South Alabama and Rice.
“Coach Mack’s values and professional qualifications align with the strategic direction of our football program,” Kennesaw State director of athletics Milton Overton said. “He has 20 years of coaching experience at all levels, has shown a longstanding ability to connect with players, and owns a relentless recruiting mindset. Coach Mack has proven experience running up-tempo and productive offensive schemes.”
–Field Level Media