Jerry Mack, head football coach at Kennesaw State University, has been named the recipient of the American Heart Association's 2025 Paul "Bear" Bryant Newcomer Coach of the Year Award. The award recognizes a coach who has not previously been a head coach at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level. Mack will be honored at the 40th Annual Paul "Bear" Bryant Awards ceremony, presented by Memorial Hermann Health System, on January 21, 2026, at Houston's Post Oak Hotel. The event will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network at 12:30 a.m. CST on January 22.
The Newcomer Coach of the Year recipient is selected by votes from the National Sports Media Association, the Bryant Awards' Executive Leadership Team, and the Bryant Family. The American Heart Association presents the Bear Bryant Awards annually to celebrate coaching excellence, honor Coach Bryant's legacy, and raise awareness and funds for its mission. Coach Bryant died from a heart attack in 1983, just 28 days after his final victory and retirement.
In his first year as head coach, Mack engineered one of the most remarkable turnarounds in college football. The Owls improved from a 2-10 record in their inaugural FBS season to a 10-4 record and a Conference USA championship. The 10 wins mark 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). The +8 game improvement is the seventh-biggest year-over-year turnaround in college football history.
During the 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 began its football program in 2015, concluded its campaign with a matchup against Western Michigan in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. For his on-field success, Mack was also named Conference USA Coach of the Year.
In addition to Mack, the ceremony will recognize Phillip Fulmer, legendary former head coach of the University of Tennessee, with 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, will be honored posthumously with the 2026 Paul "Bear" Bryant Heart of a Champion Award, presented by St. Luke's Health.
Fans can follow the Paul "Bear" Bryant Awards on Facebook and X, or by following the hashtag #BryantAwards. For more information, visit bryantawards.org.
