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. The award celebrates the achievements of an individual without previous head coaching experience at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Mack will be recognized 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 award's significance extends beyond athletic achievement, as the American Heart Association presents the Bear Bryant Awards annually to celebrate coaching excellence, honor the legacy of coach Bryant—who died from a heart attack in 1983—and raise awareness and critical funds for its mission to improve cardiovascular health. 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.
Mack earned the honor by engineering perhaps the best turnaround in college football during his first year leading the Kennesaw State program. He took 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 Sam Houston State University in 2024, Appalachian State University in 2015, and Marshall University in 2017. The improvement represents the seventh-biggest year-over-year turnaround in college football history at +8 games.
During this 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 2025 campaign with a matchup against Western Michigan in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. For his success, Mack was also honored as the Conference USA Coach of the Year.
The upcoming awards ceremony will also recognize other coaching legends. Phillip Fulmer, the legendary former head coach of the University of Tennessee, will receive the 2026 Paul "Bear" Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award. 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.
This story matters because it highlights how athletic recognition programs can serve dual purposes: celebrating exceptional coaching achievements while supporting vital health initiatives. The American Heart Association leverages the prestige of these awards to fund groundbreaking research, advocate for public health, and provide resources to combat cardiovascular disease and stroke—leading causes of death worldwide. Mack's recognition demonstrates how rapid program development in college sports can capture national attention, while the association's involvement ensures that visibility translates into tangible health benefits for communities. The awards ceremony creates a platform where sports achievement directly contributes to lifesaving medical research and public health education.
