Jerry Mack (born October 24, 1980) is an American college football coach and former player who is currently the running backs coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He will become the head football coach at Kennesaw State University at the conclusion of the 2024 NFL season. Mack served as the head football coach at North Carolina Central University from 2014 to 2017, compiling a record of 31–15 in four seasons. He was the offensive coordinator and associate football head coach at Rice University prior to his hiring at Tennessee. Mack played college football as a wide receiver at Jackson State University and Arkansas State University.
| Kennesaw State Owls | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Head coach |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | October 24, 1980 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| College: | Jackson State (1999) Arkansas State (2001–2003) |
| Career history | |
| As a coach: | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season: | NCAA: 31–14 (.689) |
| Postseason: | NCAA: 0–1 (.000) |
| Career: | NCAA: 31–15 (.674) |
Coaching career
editDelta State
editMack began his coaching career as an offensive graduate assistant for Delta State between 2004 until 2005. During that period, he worked with the running backs, as an assistant special teams coordinator, and video coordinator.
Jackson State
editIn 2006 and 2007, Mack served as the wide receivers coach and tight ends coach for Jackson State.
Central Arkansas
editIn 2008 and 2009, Mack worked at Central Arkansas as the team's passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach.
Arkansas–Pine Bluff
editFor the 2010 season, he worked for Arkansas–Pine Bluff as the team's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He helped change an offense that was ranked 101st in the nation in total offense to 30th nationally.
Memphis
editFor the 2011 he went to work in his hometown of Memphis[1] for the Tigers as the team’s wide receivers coach.
South Alabama
editIn 2012 and 2013 he served as the wide receivers coach[2] for South Alabama Jaguars.[3]
North Carolina Central
editFrom 2014[3] to 2017 Mack served as the head coach for the North Carolina Central Eagles.[4][5] Within his four seasons at North Carolina Central University as the team’s head coach, he led the Eagles to a berth in the 2016 Celebration Bowl. He compiled 31-15 record in four seasons as one of the youngest head coaches at the FBS/FCS level at the time. He was named the 2016 HBCU Football Coach of the Year by Black College Sports Page[6] and The Pigskin Club in Washington, D.C., following NCCU breaking its school record for offense on its way to the Celebration Bowl.
Rice
editMack was named Rice's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach on December 12, 2017.[7][8] On February 13, 2019, he was given the added title as associate head coach.[9] He stayed there until the end of the 2020 season.[10]
Tennessee
editIn 2021, Mack became the running backs coach at the University of Tennessee.[11]
Jacksonville Jaguars
editOn February 22, 2024, Mack was named running back coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL.[12]
Kennesaw State University
editOn December 1, 2024, Mack was named head coach for the Kennesaw State Owls football team in the Conference USA.[13]
Personal life
editMack and his wife, Starlett, have three children.
Head coaching record
edit| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina Central Eagles (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) (2014–2017) | |||||||||
| 2014 | North Carolina Central | 7–5 | 6–2 | T–1st | |||||
| 2015 | North Carolina Central | 8–3 | 7–1 | T–1st | |||||
| 2016 | North Carolina Central | 9–3 | 8–0 | 1st | L Celebration | ||||
| 2017 | North Carolina Central | 7–4 | 5–3 | T–4th | |||||
| North Carolina Central: | 31–15 | 26–6 | |||||||
| Kennesaw State Owls (Conference USA) (2025–present) | |||||||||
| 2025 | Kennesaw State | 0–0 | 0–0 | ||||||
| Kennesaw State: | 0–0 | 0–0 | |||||||
| Total: | 31–15 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
References
edit- ^ Toppmeyer, Blake. "Memphis native Jerry Mack offers more than recruiting ties for Tennessee football | Toppmeyer". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- ^ "South Alabama hires Jerry Mack to be wide receivers coach". al. February 7, 2012. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- ^ a b "Nice catch: Former South Alabama receivers coach Jerry Mack ready to take over N.C. Central post". al. December 20, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- ^ "N.C. Central hires South Alabama's Jerry Mack". Greensboro News and Record. Associated Press. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- ^ "NC Central hires South Alabama's Mack". ESPN.com. December 20, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- ^ Gaither, Steven J. (February 16, 2021). "The Rise of Jerry Mack illustrates difficulty of keeping HBCU coaching talent". HBCU Gameday. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- ^ "Jerry Mack, NC Central football coach, takes job at Rice | News & Observer". Archived from the original on December 12, 2017.
- ^ "A look at how Rice called plays with Jerry Mack as offensive coordinator". Vols Wire. February 11, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- ^ Hill, Glynn A. (November 20, 2020). "Rice football coordinators keep pushing for diversity gains". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- ^ Toppmeyer, Blake. "Tennessee football set to hire Rice's offensive coordinator as assistant, per report". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- ^ Ray, Matt (August 13, 2021). "Vols' Running Backs Building Cohesion, Depth Under Jerry Mack This Fall". Sports Illustrated Tennessee Volunteers News, Analysis and More. Retrieved September 4, 2021.
- ^ "Jaguars Announce New Additions to Coaching Staff". Jaguars.com. February 22, 2024.
- ^ "Mack Named Kennesaw State Football Head Coach". ksuowls.com. December 1, 2024. Retrieved December 1, 2024.