The Kennesaw State job is open. The Owls dismissed head coach Brian Bohannon, the first and only coach in program history, after a 1-8 start.
Kennesaw State’s program was founded in 2013 and first played games in 2015. While Bohannon was 72-38 at the school, his record was 9-20 over the last three seasons. This 1-8 start came in the program’s first season at the Football Bowl Subdivision level, though a win over Liberty was a bright spot.
So how good is the Kennesaw State job? What names could get in the mix? Based on conversations with industry sources, here is a report card for the job and the potential candidates to watch.
Recent history/tradition: C
There isn’t much tradition here, but it is mostly a good history. After beginning play in 2015, the Owls had the best startup run in Division I history, with a 48-15 record through the first five years. From 2017 through 2021, Kennesaw State finished the season ranked in the top 15 five times and reached the FCS playoffs four times.
But the past few years have seen a decline. The Owls joined the ASUN in 2022 and went 5-6. Then, while going through the FCS to FBS transition, they went 3-6 last year and are now 1-8 in the FBS. There is a track record of winning, but the program needs to be rebuilt. Kennesaw State’s attendance is near the bottom of the FBS, but Fifth Third Stadium has been near capacity (10,200) for most games this season.
On-field outlook: D
Kennesaw State’s biggest success came behind an option running attack, as Bohannon spent years working under Paul Johnson. The downturn came amid a change in offensive style. This year, starting quarterback Davis Bryson has more interceptions than touchdowns, and the Owls are 127th nationally in yards per rush. The offense as a whole is dead last in yards per play (4.01). The defense isn’t much better. But that’s also part of the transition. The roster is still in the process of adjusting — there are only five seniors listed on this team. But the Owls are second-to-last nationally in 247Sports’ Team Talent Composite, and it’s hard to know how much will change in the portal.
Money matters: D
Bohannon was the lowest-paid head coach in the FBS at $376,000, nearly $100,000 lower than the next closest coach. Kennesaw State’s athletics budget is near or at the bottom of CUSA. Again, that’s part of the transition up from the FCS. Athletics donations are up, and there are plans for various athletics upgrades. The football stadium added about 1,500 seats to get over 10,000 capacity this year (the NCAA Division I Council removed the FBS attendance requirement last year).
University stability: C+
The school is growing and now has the third-largest enrollment in Georgia at more than 47,000 students with six consecutive years of growth. Athletic director Milton Overton has been there since 2017. Basketball and other sports have improved under his watch. Bohannon’s departure was a bit odd, with the university saying the coach stepped down but Bohannon later correcting that he didn’t and that Overton had made the move.
Coach pool: C
Navy offensive coordinator Drew Cronic is a Georgia native who has a 75-23 record as a head coach at three different schools (Reinhardt, Lenoir-Rhyne and Mercer). He joined Navy this year and has improved the scoring offense from 125th nationally to 19th. Cronic is also currently working at Navy for former Kennesaw State defensive coordinator Brian Newberry.
Army offensive coordinator Cody Worley is directing an efficient Black Knights offense to a 9-0 record, and he’s a former Kennesaw State assistant (2014-19), so he knows what it takes to win there. Worley tweaked the Army offense into one of the most improved in the country and developed quarterback Bryson Daily into a national award candidate. But would Worley run an option offense or do something different?
Georgia Tech defensive line coach Jess Simpson is a Marietta, Ga., native and was a high school coach in the state for two decades before moving on to college and NFL jobs. Georgia Tech’s defense is 33rd in yards per rush allowed in Simpson’s first season, up from 130th a year ago.
Clemson defensive tackles coach Nick Eason is another Georgia native to watch. He’s coached in college football since 2021 after 17 years in the NFL as a player and coach. He’s developed multiple All-ACC tackles since 2022 and was 247Sports’ ACC recruiter of the year in his first cycle with the program.
East Tennessee State head coach Tre Lamb has the Buccaneers 6-4 and around the FCS top 25 in his first season after inheriting a three-win team. The 35-year-old Georgia native previously took over a Gardner-Webb program coming off six consecutive losing seasons and won consecutive conference championships in 2022 and 2023.
Western Carolina head coach Kerwin Bell has turned the Catamounts into a winning program since inheriting a one-win team and has a 22-21 record since midway through his first season. He also previously took Valdosta State in Georgia to an undefeated Division II national championship in 2018 and went 66-35 at Jacksonville before that.
UFL Birmingham Stallions head coach Skip Holtz wants to take another run at college coaching. He’s 26-4 in three seasons in the USFL/UFL, winning the spring league championship three consecutive times. Holtz had a good run at Louisiana Tech, going 64-50 from 2013-21 with just two losing seasons, and he previously led South Florida and East Carolina. Holtz also spent the fall of 2023 helping Northwestern then-interim head coach David Braun.
Liberty offensive coordinator Willy Korn has been alongside Jamey Chadwell since 2010 as a player or a coach. They turned Coastal Carolina into a Top 25 team and took Liberty to a Fiesta Bowl last year. Korn helped develop Grayson McCall and Kaidon Salter into two of the best quarterbacks in the Group of 5. Could the 35-year-old get a look at running his own program?
Navy defensive coordinator P.J. Volker spent 2017 and 2018 at Kennesaw State with Newberry, helping develop FCS All-America linebacker Byron Armstrong. Volker also previously coached at Georgia State in Atlanta.
Overall job grade: D+
Kennesaw State won and won quickly as a new program, and it’s a growing school near Atlanta. There are parts to like. But it’s behind its new peers financially, and the FCS-FBS transition takes time for programs without the infrastructure in place. The upside is obvious. The timeline is less clear.
(Photo: Helen Comer / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
