Kennesaw State University’s Jerry Mack named Paul “Bear” Bryant Newcomer Coach of the Year

The American Heart Association awards honor top college football coaches while raising lifesaving funds and awareness of heart and brain health

2026-01-14

(Press-News.org) HOUSTON, Jan. 14, 2026 — Kennesaw State University’s Jerry Mack has been named as the recipient of the American Heart Association’s 2025 Paul “Bear” Bryant Newcomer Coach of the Year Award. This award celebrates the achievements of an individual who has not had any previous head coaching experience at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level.

Coach Mack will be recognized with the honor during the 40th Annual Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards ceremony presented by Houston-based Memorial Hermann Health System on January 21, 2026 at Houston’s Post Oak Hotel. The event will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network at 12:30 a.m. CST on January 22nd.

The Newcomer Coach of the Year recipient is voted on by members of the National Sports Media Association, the Bryant Awards’ Executive Leadership Team and the Bryant Family.

The American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere, presents the Bear Bryant Awards annually to celebrate excellence in coaching, to honor coach Bryant’s legacy, and to raise awareness and critical funds for its mission. The coaching legend died from a heart attack in 1983, just 28 days after his final victory and retirement.

In his first year at the helm of the Kennesaw State program, Mack engineered perhaps the best turnaround in college football this season, taking a team that finished 2-10 in its first year of FBS play to a 10-4 record and a Conference USA championship.

The 10 wins for the Owls mark only the fourth time that a team has won 10 or more games in its second year of FBS reclassification, following Sam Houston State University in 2024, Appalachian State University in 2015, and Marshall University in 2017; and the seventh-biggest year-over-year turnaround in college football history at +8 games.

During its historic season, the Owls defeated five programs with .500 records or better and finished the regular season receiving votes in both the Associated Press and USA Today top 25 polls.

Kennesaw State, which played its first college football games in the 2015 season, concluded its historic 2025 campaign recently with a matchup against Western Michigan in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.

For his success on field this season, Mack was honored as the Conference USA Coach of the Year.

As previously announced, Phillip Fulmer, the legendary former head coach of the University of Tennessee and the late Mike Leach, innovator of the Air Raid offense and former head coach at Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State universities, will also be recognized with special awards at this year’s gala event. Coach Fulmer will receive the 2026 Paul “Bear” Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award and the late coach Leach will be honored posthumously with the 2026 Paul “Bear” Bryant Heart of a Champion Award presented by St. Luke’s Health, one of the largest health systems in Greater Houston.

Fans can follow the Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards, track progress of the awards at facebook.com/bryantawards, x.com/bryantawards or by following the hashtag #BryantAwards. To attend the exclusive virtual, VIP experience for the Bryant Awards, contact 832-918-4009 or visit bryantawards.org.

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About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.   

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