There was one question that Jerry Mack could answer with certainty at his introductory news conference Tuesday as Kennesaw State’s football coach: He said with confidence that it is time for the “hidden gem” to shine.
“We have an opportunity of a lifetime here, and we don’t want to let it slip away from us,” Mack said. “Right now, the momentum for our program is high. Let’s keep riding this wave. Let’s keep this momentum. Let it be known, let be shown throughout the entire country, Kennesaw State is coming.”
How exactly that will happen was less clear because Mack didn’t have a lot of tangible answers and athletic director Milton Overton continued to be unavailable to talk to journalists, continuing a silence made notable since he fired Brian Bohannon, the program’s first coach, Nov. 10. Several questions were emailed to a KSU spokesman for Overton to consider answering.
Mack will lead Kennesaw State into its second season as an FBS school in football, playing in Conference USA. The Owls went 2-10 overall, 2-6 in the conference during their recently completed inaugural season.
Mack had ideas that he shared on how he hopes to improve that record.
The offense will be similar to what Tennessee runs. Mack worked as the running backs coach in Knoxville from 2021-23. Kennesaw State’s offense last season averaged 16.5 points, fewest in Conference USA. Overton, in his remarks to a congregation gathered at the Convocation Center, said the offense will be exciting for everyone, which is the closest he has come to possibly explaining why he fired Bohannon, whose run-heavy offense helped it to a successful start on the FCS level. Since the program launched in 2015, Bohannon went 72-38 with three Big South Conference championships and four FCS playoff appearances.
Mack said the defense will be aggressive. The defense last season allowed an average of 31.17, fourth most in the conference. Mack agreed that the schemes on offense and defense will be based upon the strengths of the personnel.
The challenges that Bohannon faced and that Mack must overcome include salary budgets, facilities, and NIL.
Mack declined to say how long his contract is for. He met with some of Kennesaw State’s football staff and players Monday night. Mack said he is still figuring out which staff members will remain. He said he and Overton are discussing the funds available to hire new staff members. The highest-paid assistant coach on Bohannon’s staff last year made about $75,000. More than 75% of the assistant coaches in Conference USA made at least $90,000 last season.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
“Coach Bo did a great job of building the foundation,” Mack said. “The program, for whatever the reason, the last few years, it has not been at the level that we, as the Owl family, would like it to be. I’m just confident in my ability, the staff that I’m bringing in, my background as far as being able to build programs, been a part of programs that were being built as well. It’s about the confidence and belief that I bring to the table.”
Kennesaw State has had more than 20 players say they are entering the transfer portal since Bohannon was dismissed, according to On3.com. Mack said he is working to recruit the players that remain. He said it’s too soon to know how many transfers in he will pursue. He said building “special relationships” with players will be key.
“I wish I had a crystal ball to kind of tell you what that number kind of looked like, but that’s just not the reality of it,” he said. “We’ve got to continue to go through the roster, continue to evaluate the people in the building, and then after that, assess … the needs.”
Facilities and NIL are contributors to recruiting. Kennesaw State continues to lag behind most of its Conference USA competitors in both. Its stadium has the smallest capacity (10,200) of any in FBS. Its average attendance (9,012) this season was third lowest in FBS. Its five-year average (6,319), which included four seasons in FCS, is the lowest among FBS programs.
The coaches’ offices are in a nearby office park. The stadium is a mile from those offices and from campus.
Mack said Overton told him that there are plans to improve the facilities that will be announced in the next 12-16 months. He said he couldn’t say what those improvements will be. Overton, as noted, was unavailable. Mack said twice that there is an alignment among those in the university, athletics and the community that he found appealing.
“There is a vision to do some things from a facility standpoint, obviously, the nature of right now, everybody’s kind of still navigating what that kind of looks like from their own institution,” he said. “I think the resources are in place here with the donors and with the collective and things like that, I think it’s opportunity to continue to grow it.”
Mack’s background may help him do with more with what is right now less. Mack has worked for several historically Black colleges and universities, which can face resource disadvantages when competing against other FCS school. Mack won three MEAC titles as head coach of North Carolina Central from 2014-17. As passing-game coordinator at Central Arkansas, it won the Southland Conference title in 2008. As wide receivers/tight end coach at Jackson State, it won the 2007 SWAC title in 2007. Mack most recently worked as the running back coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“I like to blend the things that I’ve learned from power four programs to National Football League, working at those lower-resource schools to make sure we can blend it, to give our student-athletes the best experience possible,” he said. “That’s what it’s really all about. I can I bring a different perspective to some guys … because I know how to do a lot with a little.”
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
