DALLAS – Kennesaw State football head coach and 2025 Conference USA Coach of the Year
Jerry Mack continued to receive national recognition, being named a finalist for the 2025 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award, the Allstate Sugar Bowl and Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) announced Tuesday.
Kennesaw State's first-year head coach is joined by James Madison's Bob Chesney, Indiana's Curt Cignetti, Ohio State's Ryan Day, Texas A&M's Mike Elko, Virginia's Tony Elliott, Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman, Vanderbilt's Clark Lea, Texas Tech's Joey McGuire, UConn's Jim Mora, Georgia's Kirby Smart and Tulane's Jon Sumrall as finalists.
Only six of the 12 coaches earned conference championships this season.
The winner of the 2025 Eddie Robinson Award will be announced on Tuesday, Dec. 16 and honored at a reception in Miami on Jan. 17, 2026 at the College Football Playoff National Championship.
In Year 1 at the helm of the Owls, Mack has orchestrated one of the best turnarounds in college football this season, taking a 2-10 Kennesaw State team in their first year of FBS play and turning them into a 10-3 Conference USA Championship team.
Kennesaw State's 10 wins in 2025 mark:
- Only the fourth time a team has won 10 or more games in its second year of FBS reclassification.
- The seventh-biggest year-over-year turnaround in college football history (+8 games)
- The fifth-largest year-over-year turnaround since 2000 and the third-largest in the last 10 seasons.
Ranking eighth in ESPN's strength of record among Group of Five teams, KSU defeated five .500 or better programs. The Owls also finished the season receiving votes in the Associated Poll Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll for the first time in program history.
Mack was able to mesh a strong group of transfers with the fifth-fewest returns (43) into a team that fought to win more one-possession games (6) than any other FBS program in 2025.
Impressively, the Owls led CUSA in scoring (28.3) and touchdowns (47), while allowing the third-fewest points (24.3) in the league and leading the league in sacks (31).
Mack and the Owls will head to Conway, S.C. to play in the 2025 Myrtle Beach Bowl – Kennesaw State's first-ever bowl appearance in its second year of FBS action. Fans are encouraged to purchase their Myrtle Beach Bowl tickets from KSU Athletics by
CLICKING HERE in order to guarantee being seated in blocks with other Kennesaw State fans in attendance.
The Owls Fund
The Owls Fund is the primary fundraising arm of Kennesaw State Athletics with the goal of supporting our student-athletes, coaches and each of our 18 NCAA Division I programs. Through initiatives such as Legacy Lockers, the Dot Martin Scholarship Golf Classic, sport-specific giving opportunities, general donations and season tickets, The Owls Fund connects fans with KSU's programs and student-athletes. Members receive exclusive benefits such as hospitality seating areas and events at Kennesaw State home games, and more. Join The Owls Fund here and discover more opportunities on how you can support Kennesaw State Athletics.
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