FULTON, Md. – Kennesaw State football head coach
Jerry Mack has been named the recipient of the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches College Coach of the Year Award. The purpose of the award is to honor a minority coach who has excelled on the field and had an exemplar season. The honoree demonstrates integrity, character, and excellence both on and off the field.
Mack joins Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame), Willie Simmons (Duke) and Deion Sanders (Colorado) as the most recent selections.
Mack immediately made an impact with the Owls, orchestrating 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.
Mack's efforts were lauded, earning Conference USA Coach of the Year honors, as well as being named the 2025 Paul "Bear" Bryant National Newcomer Coach of the Year -- awarded to the nation's top first-year FBS head coach. He also finished as a semifinalist for the Munger National Coach of the Year honor and a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award.
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 (Sam Houston - 2024; Appalachian State 2015; Marshall - 1997).
- 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.
Impressively, the Owls were atop the charts in multiple statistics at the end of the season. In Conference USA games, Kennesaw State led the league in scoring (34.5) and tied for second in total offense (436.8). Defensively, the Owls also wreaked havoc, allowing the third-fewest points (24.3) and leading the league in sacks (31).
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 after earning its first-ever bowl invitational in school 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.
Kennesaw State opens its highly anticipated 2026 season with two-straight home games at Walens Family Field at Fifth Third Stadium – Sept. 5 vs. West Georgia and Sept. 12 vs. Georgia State. Owl Nation can place deposits on 2026 season tickets for all the action now by visiting
KSUOwls.com/tickets.
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.
For more information on Kennesaw State athletics, follow @KennesawStFB on X/Twitter or like Kennesaw State Football on Facebook and Instagram.
