When you think about Kennesaw State football, you probably think of a program that basically came out of nowhere. It’s the classic underdog story, right? You start a team in 2015, you win a ton of games in the FCS, and then you jump to the Big Leagues. But if you’ve been following the sideline drama over the last couple of seasons, you know the transition from the Brian Bohannon era to the Jerry Mack era hasn't been a simple "pass the torch" moment. Honestly, it was messy.
Kennesaw State football coaches are essentially the architects of a house that’s still being built while the owners are already moving in the furniture. For nearly a decade, Brian Bohannon was the only face this program ever knew. He built the Owls from a literal blank sheet of paper into a perennial FCS powerhouse. But then 2024 happened. The move to the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) is a different beast entirely, and the friction between old-school building and new-school expectations led to one of the most confusing "did he quit or was he fired?" exits in recent Georgia sports history.
The Brian Bohannon Era: Building From Zero
Most people don’t realize how hard it is to start a college football team. Bohannon didn't just inherit a roster; he had to pick out the jerseys. He came from the Paul Johnson coaching tree—think gritty, triple-option, "we’re going to run the ball down your throat" football.
It worked. Like, really well.
Bohannon finished his tenure with a 72–38 record. Under his watch, the Owls grabbed three Big South championships and made the FCS playoffs four times. They were the fastest start-up program to hit 40 wins. But the transition to the FBS in 2024 was a slap in the face. A 1–8 start made the administration nervous. Then came the Sunday morning in November that changed everything.
💡 You might also like: Current Score of the Steelers Game: Why the 30-6 Texans Blowout Changed Everything
The school put out a statement saying Bohannon "stepped down."
Bohannon went to X (formerly Twitter) and basically said, "No, I didn't."
He claimed he was told a change was being made. It was an awkward, public breakup for a man who had spent ten years pouring his soul into Fifth Third Stadium. Chandler Burks, a former KSU quarterbacking legend himself, took over as interim, but the writing was on the wall: Kennesaw State needed a "big time" FBS leader to survive Conference USA.
Jerry Mack and the 2025 Miracle
Enter Jerry Mack. If Bohannon was the guy who cleared the forest to build the house, Mack is the guy who installed the high-speed fiber optics and the smart security system.
Hired in December 2024, Mack brought a resume that screamed "modern football." He had been the running backs coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars and had a stint at Tennessee. He knew the "Veo" and "Veer-and-Shoot" style of offense that defines modern FBS play. But nobody—literally nobody—expected what happened in 2025.
📖 Related: Last Match Man City: Why Newcastle Couldn't Stop the Semenyo Surge
The Owls went from a 2–10 disaster in 2024 to a 10–4 season in 2025.
Let that sink in for a second.
Under Jerry Mack and his offensive coordinator Mitch Militello, the Owls didn't just compete; they won the Conference USA Championship in their first "real" year of being eligible. They beat Jacksonville State 19–15 in a defensive slugfest for the title. Mack became the first coach in CUSA history to win the championship in his first year at a program.
Why the New Staff Works
The current crop of Kennesaw State football coaches has shifted the identity of the program. They moved away from the old-school option and embraced a "basketball-on-grass" philosophy.
- Jerry Mack (Head Coach): The visionary. He’s focused on recruiting the Atlanta metro area like his life depends on it.
- Mitch Militello (Offensive Coordinator): He turned quarterback Amari Odom into a household name in the mid-major world. Odom threw for over 2,500 yards in 2025—a far cry from the run-heavy days of the past.
- Marc Mattioli (Defensive Coordinator): This is the unsung hero. In the 2025 CUSA title game, his defense pitched a shutout for nearly three and a half quarters.
The Reality of the "FBS Jump"
You can't talk about these coaches without talking about the sheer stress of the FBS transition. When Kennesaw State moved up, they were essentially playing with a "short" deck. They had one of the lowest scholarship counts in the country because of the way they phased into the sub-division.
👉 See also: Cowboys Score: Why Dallas Just Can't Finish the Job When it Matters
The 2024 season was a "transition" year where they couldn't even go to a bowl game. It’s easy to look back and say the school was wrong to push Bohannon out, but the results in 2025 under Jerry Mack sort of validate the move, as cold as that sounds. The administration felt the "option" offense had a ceiling in the FBS. They wanted a coach who could recruit the high-flying athletes that Georgia produces.
Honestly, Mack has over-delivered. Winning 10 games and a conference title with a roster that was mostly picked to finish last in the preseason polls? That’s Hall of Fame stuff.
What’s Next for the Owls?
Because of that success, the university didn't wait around. In December 2025, they gave Jerry Mack a contract extension through 2031. They know larger "Power Four" schools are going to come sniffing around. You don't take a 2-win team to a 10-win conference champion without people noticing.
If you're a fan or a student, the current coaching staff is the most stable thing about the program right now. They’ve proven that Kennesaw State isn't just a "happy to be here" FBS team. They are a "we're here to take your trophy" team.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
- Watch the Transfer Portal: Jerry Mack’s staff has been aggressive in bringing in "bounce-back" players from P4 schools in Georgia and Florida. This is their primary recruiting pipeline.
- Attendance Matters: With the 2025 success, expect Fifth Third Stadium to be packed. The "Hooty Hoo" chant is becoming a legitimate home-field advantage that the coaches rely on for defensive energy.
- Scheme Evolution: Keep an eye on the "Veer-and-Shoot." As teams get more film on Amari Odom and the 2026 offense, Mack and Militello will have to show they can adapt their "basketball-on-grass" style.
- Coach Poaching: Be prepared for the reality that successful G5 coaches get hired away. The extension helps, but if a big ACC or SEC school loses its coach, Mack’s name will be on the "rising stars" list.
The story of Kennesaw State football coaches is a story of two eras: the foundational grit of Brian Bohannon and the explosive modernization of Jerry Mack. Both were necessary. Without Bohannon, there is no program. Without Mack, there is no championship in the FBS era. It’s a wild ride that’s only just getting started in the suburban hills of North Georgia.
Next Steps for Following KSU Football:
- Track the 2026 Early National Signing Day results to see how Jerry Mack leverages the CUSA Championship into higher-rated recruits.
- Monitor the Spring Game (usually in April) to see how the offensive scheme evolves with new transfers entering the system.
- Follow the Conference USA preseason polls in the summer of 2026 to see if the Owls are finally given the respect they earned after their 10-win season.