Kennesaw State has hired Jacksonville Jaguars running backs coach Jerry Mack as its head coach.
Mack, who was coaching a game with the Jaguars on Sunday when the news was announced, spent one year in Jacksonville and the previous three as Tennessee’s running backs coach.
“Coach Mack’s values and professional qualifications align with the strategic direction of our football program,” athletic director Milton Overton said in a statement. “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.”
The line about up-tempo offenses could illustrate a move toward an offense similar to what Josh Heupel runs at Tennessee. Before Tennessee, Mack was the offensive coordinator at Rice and the head coach at FCS North Carolina Central, where he posted a 31-15 record in four seasons with a share of three MEAC championships and one Celebration Bowl appearance.
𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 ✍️
We’re proud to announce Jerry Mack as the second head coach of Kennesaw State Football!
📰 https://t.co/D5PIEcv3CH #GoldStandard | #SeeUs pic.twitter.com/ILbZaqHd3N
— Kennesaw State Football (@kennesawstfb) December 1, 2024
“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. “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.”
Mack is the second coach in Kennesaw State’s short history, following Brian Bohannon, who was fired after the Owls’ 1-8 start to the season. The Owls began play in 2015 at the FCS level and had four top-five appearances from 2017 to 2021, plus four playoff appearances. They moved up to FBS this year in Conference USA and just finished a 2-10 season.
(Photo: Kirby Lee / Imagn Images)
