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FAQ: Jerry Mack's Paul "Bear" Bryant Newcomer Coach of the Year Award and Kennesaw State's Historic Season
TL;DR
Kennesaw State's Jerry Mack demonstrates that strategic coaching can turn a 2-10 team into a 10-4 conference champion, offering a blueprint for rapid program turnaround.
Jerry Mack's selection for the Paul 'Bear' Bryant Newcomer Coach of the Year Award involved voting by the National Sports Media Association, Bryant Awards leadership, and the Bryant family.
The American Heart Association's Bryant Awards honor coaching excellence while raising funds and awareness for cardiovascular health, continuing Bear Bryant's legacy to improve community wellbeing.
Jerry Mack achieved the seventh-biggest year-over-year turnaround in college football history, winning 10 games in only Kennesaw State's second year of FBS play.
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Jerry Mack won the American Heart Association's 2025 Paul "Bear" Bryant Newcomer Coach of the Year Award, which celebrates the achievements of an individual without previous head coaching experience at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level. This is significant because Mack engineered one of the best turnarounds in college football, taking Kennesaw State from a 2-10 record to 10-4 and a Conference USA championship in his first season.
The award ceremony will take place on January 21, 2026 at Houston's Post Oak Hotel during the 40th Annual Paul "Bear" Bryant Awards presented by Memorial Hermann Health System. The event will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network at 12:30 a.m. CST on January 22, 2026.
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.
Kennesaw State's 10-win season marks only the fourth time a team has won 10 or more games in its second year of FBS reclassification, following Sam Houston State University (2024), Appalachian State University (2015), and Marshall University (2017). It also represents the seventh-biggest year-over-year turnaround in college football history at +8 games.
During their historic season, the Owls defeated five programs with .500 records or better, finished the regular season receiving votes in both the Associated Press and USA Today top 25 polls, and concluded their campaign with a matchup against Western Michigan in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.
In addition to the Paul "Bear" Bryant Newcomer Coach of the Year Award, Mack was honored as the Conference USA Coach of the Year for his success on the field during the 2025 season.
Phillip Fulmer, the legendary former head coach of the University of Tennessee, will receive the 2026 Paul "Bear" Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award, 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 be honored posthumously with the 2026 Paul "Bear" Bryant Heart of a Champion Award presented by St. Luke's Health.
The American Heart Association presents the Bear Bryant Awards annually to celebrate excellence in coaching, honor coach Bryant's legacy, and raise awareness and critical funds for its mission. Coach Bryant died from a heart attack in 1983, just 28 days after his final victory and retirement.
Fans can follow the Paul "Bear" Bryant Awards on facebook.com/bryantawards, x.com/bryantawards, or by following the hashtag #BryantAwards.
Curated from NewMediaWire
