Kennesaw State University's Jerry Mack has been named the recipient of the American Heart Association's 2025 Paul "Bear" Bryant Newcomer Coach of the Year Award. This award recognizes an individual without previous head coaching experience at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Mack will be honored during the 40th Annual Paul "Bear" Bryant Awards ceremony presented by Memorial Hermann Health System on January 21, 2026, at Houston's Post Oak Hotel, with the event broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
The significance of this award extends beyond coaching accolades. The American Heart Association presents the Bear Bryant Awards annually to celebrate coaching excellence, honor the legacy of the coaching legend who died from a heart attack in 1983, and raise awareness and critical funds for its mission. The selection process involves votes from the National Sports Media Association, the Bryant Awards' Executive Leadership Team, and the Bryant Family.
Mack's achievement matters because it underscores a remarkable coaching performance with tangible results. In his first year leading the Kennesaw State program, he engineered one of college football's best turnarounds 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. This 10-win season marks only the fourth time a team has won 10 or more games in its second year of FBS reclassification, following programs like Sam Houston State University and Appalachian State University, and represents the seventh-biggest year-over-year turnaround in college football history at +8 games.
The implications of this success are multifaceted. For the college football industry, it demonstrates that new coaches can achieve immediate, historic success, potentially influencing hiring practices and expectations for first-time FBS head coaches. During its historic season, Kennesaw State 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, elevating the program's national profile. Mack was also honored as the Conference USA Coach of the Year for his on-field success.
This news is important to readers because it highlights how athletic achievements can support broader health initiatives. The Bryant Awards ceremony, detailed at bryantawards.org, serves as a platform to fund cardiovascular disease research and stroke prevention through the American Heart Association. The event also honors other coaching legends, with Phillip Fulmer receiving the 2026 Paul "Bear" Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award and the late Mike Leach being honored posthumously with the 2026 Paul "Bear" Bryant Heart of a Champion Award presented by St. Luke's Health.
For fans and the public, this story connects sports excellence with health advocacy, reminding audiences of the American Heart Association's work. Kennesaw State, which played its first college football games in 2015, concluded its historic 2025 campaign with a matchup against Western Michigan in the Myrtle Beach Bowl, capping a season that has set a new standard for emerging FBS programs.
