FULTON, Md. – Former HBCU head coach Jerry Mack, now at the helm of Kennesaw State football, has been honored with the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches (NCMFC) College Coach of the Year Award. This prestigious award celebrates a minority coach who has demonstrated exceptional performance on the field and exhibited integrity, character, and excellence throughout the season. The former North Carolina Central head coach joins an elite group of recipients. He also became the second former HBCU coach to receive this recognition, alongside Deion Sanders, who previously won with Colorado.
Mack’s immediate impact
Mack’s impact on the Kennesaw State Owls was immediate and profound. In his first year in FBS play, he orchestrated one of college football’s most remarkable turnarounds, transforming a 2-10 team into a 10-3 Conference USA Championship squad. His outstanding efforts did not go unnoticed, earning him the Conference USA Coach of the Year title and the 2025 Paul “Bear” Bryant National Newcomer Coach of the Year award, which recognizes the nation’s top first-year FBS head coach. He was also a semifinalist for the Munger National Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award.
The Owls’ impressive 10-win season in 2025 stands as a testament to Mack’s leadership, marking only the fourth time a team has achieved ten or more wins in its second year of FBS reclassification. This achievement also represents the seventh-biggest year-over-year turnaround in college football history, and the third-largest in the past decade.
Under Mack, Kennesaw State dominated Conference USA statistics, leading the league in scoring (34.5 points per game) and tying for second in total offense (436.8 yards per game). Defensively, the Owls were equally formidable, allowing the third-fewest points (24.3) and leading the league in sacks (31). The team’s success culminated in receiving votes in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll for the first time ever, alongside their inaugural bowl invitation.
From HBCU to FBS
Jerry Mack showed his ability to seamlessly integrate a strong group of transfers with returning players. Despite having the fifth-fewest returners (43) his team won more one-possession games (6) than any other FBS program in 2025. His continued success highlights the incredible talent nurtured within HBCU football programs and the significant contributions of HBCU coaches to the broader landscape of college football.