Kennesaw State announces Jerry Mack as second head football coach

Kennesaw State announced that Jerry Mack has been hired as the second head football coach in program history, Director of Athletics Milton Overton announced on Sunday. He arrives at KSU after spending a season as the running backs coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars and three seasons as the running backs coach for the Tennessee Volunteers.

“My family and I are extremely excited to join the Owl family! I want to thank Director of Athletics Milton Overton and President Kathy Schwaig for this phenomenal opportunity. KSU is one of the fastest-growing institutions in the country with no ceiling on the potential opportunities it presents for our student-athletes,” said Mack in the official press release issued by Kennesaw State.

“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 finished.

The Tennessee Volunteers compiled a 27-12 record when Mack was on staff there, with him making an immediate impact his first year in Knoxville. The Volunteers’ offense ranked 11th nationally in his first season there, putting up 217.8 rushing yards per game in the 2021 campaign. The Tennessee offense shattered eight offensive records in 2021 and ranked in the Top 25 nationally in multiple categories–scoring offense (seventh), total offense (ninth), rushing offense (11th), offensive yards per play (17th), and third down offense (25th).

Mack began his collegiate playing career at Jackson State before transferring after one season (1999) to Arkansas State. He earned three letters with Arkansas State (2001-2003).

Brian Bohannon was recently fired as the head coach of the KSU program, after the Owls got off to a 1-8 start to the 2024 season. Kennesaw State jumped up to the FBS level this season and had been struggling with the jump up in competition. They finished with a 2-10 record overall.

It was Bohannon’s 12th season in leading the Owls program. He led the team to four FCS playoff appearances, and was also named the 2017 FCS Coach of the Year.

On3’s Matt Connolly also contributed to this article.