Tag: Jerry Mack

Doug Pederson names Jaguars interim RB coach after Jerry Mack’s exit

Doug Pederson names Jaguars interim RB coach after Jerry Mack’s exit

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson revealed Monday that assistant wide receivers coach, Tyler Tettleton, will serve as Jacksonville’s primary interim running backs coach after Jerry Mack left the team to become Kennesaw State’s head coach this week.

Kennesaw State announced it had hired Mack as the program’s next head coach during Jacksonville’s 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday. Mack remained with the Jaguars through the final whistle but began his new role with the Owls on Tuesday.

“Tyler Tettleton, who’s been in that room before, we’re going to just sort of give him some running back responsibilities,” Pederson said. “He’s coached them a little bit on the side the last couple of years. Been in that room, understands what we’re doing offensively.

“So, we’ll spread it out a little bit, but Tyler will be the main focal point there.”

Jaguars offensive quality control assistant Jamel Mutunga will assist Tettleton in the role, per Pederson.

Tettleton joined Jacksonville’s coaching staff in March 2022, leaving on-field, running back coaching and pass-game coordinating positions with the Ohio Bobcats to become an offensive quality control assistant with the Jaguars.

An Ohio alumnus, Tettleton played quarterback for the Bobcats from 2009-13. He holds the program’s all-time passing records, career and single-season, for yards (9,125 and 3,302) and touchdowns (67 and 28).

Before his return to Ohio, Tettleton served as an offensive analyst for the LSU Tigers in 2020, an offensive quality control coach for the Cleveland Browns in 2019, a scouting assistant with the New York Jets in 2018 and a graduate assistant with the Oklahoma Sooners from 2015-17.

Tettleton operated as an assistant running backs coach in his first season with the Jaguars before moving to assistant wide receivers coach ahead of the 2023 campaign.

“It’ll be a good opportunity for him these next couple of weeks to really have a position group and then coach them and lead those guys,” Pederson expressed.

The Jaguars hired Mack away from the same role at the University of Tennessee in February, to replace Bernie Parmalee, who was among nine Jacksonville coaching assistants fired following the 2023 season.

After finishing No. 30 in the NFL in yards per rush (3.6) and No. 24 in yards per game (96.8) in 2023, the Jaguars rank No. 12 (4.5) and No. 25 (101.3) in those respective categories through Week 13 this season.

Jacksonville’s primary running backs, Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby, have combined to rush for 918 yards and six touchdowns over 197 carries.

“Let me just say with Jerry, appreciate what he did with that running back room,” said Pederson.

“[Mack] did a great job coming in and getting those guys prepared each week and wish him nothing but the best. This will be a great opportunity for Jerry to be a head coach again in college football and get that program going, and excited to watch him there.”

Former Tennessee assistant hired as Kennesaw State football head coach

Former Vols’ assistant named head coach at Kennesaw State.

Kennesaw State hired Jerry Mack as its football head coach. Mack served as Tennessee’s running backs coach from 2021-23.

“After an extensive national search, I would like to welcome coach Jerry Mack, his wife, Starlett, and family to Owl nation as our head football coach,” Kennesaw State director of athletics Milton Overton said. “Coach Mack’s values and professional qualifications align with the strategic direction of our football program. He has 20 years of coaching experience at all levels, has shown a longstanding ability to connect with players, and owns a relentless recruiting mindset. Coach Mack has proven experience running up-tempo and productive offensive schemes.”

Mack served as running backs coach for Jacksonville in the NFL during the 2024 season.

Jerry Mack. Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Jaguars assistant takes college HC job

Jaguars assistant takes college HC job

Kennesaw State is hiring Jacksonville Jaguars running backs coach Jerry Mack as the program’s new head coach, the university announced Sunday.

Kennesaw State announced Mack’s hiring during Jacksonville’s Week 13 home matchup with the Houston Texans, while Mack was actively coaching the Jaguars’ running backs at EverBank Stadium.

Mack joined the Jaguars this offseason after spending three seasons as the running backs coach for the University of Tennessee, replacing the dismissed Bernie Parmalee in the role. He has four seasons of head coaching experience at the FCS level with North Carolina Central from 2014-17, where he went 31-15.

Through Week 12 this season, the Jaguars ranked No. 11 in the NFL in yards per rushing attempt with 4.5 and No. 25 in rushing yards per game with 101.6.

Jacksonville’s leading rushers, Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne Jr., had rushed for 519 yards and four touchdowns and 325 yards and two touchdowns, respectively.

Mack will succeed Brian Bohannon, the first head football coach in Kennesaw State history, in leading the Owls. Bohannon went 72-38 in 10 seasons with the team.

Coaches who would be ideal for Tennessee filling Jerry Mack’s offensive staff vacancy

Coaches who would be ideal for Tennessee football filling offensive staff vacancy after Jerry Mack leaves for the NFL.

Third-year Tennessee running backs coach Jerry Mack is reportedly joining Jacksonville in the NFL.

Mack came to Tennessee after serving as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Rice from 2018-20. He also coached in-state at Memphis in 2011 as wide receivers coach under head coach Larry Porter.

Josh Heupel will look to fill Mack’s vacancy ahead of spring practices entering his fourth season as the Vols’ head coach.

Heupel could promote from within, hire an outside coach or re-shuffle his staff.

Vols Wire looks at coaches who would be ideal in filling the vacancy. Below are outside hires who would be ideal in joining Heupel’s coaching staff in 2024.

Jaguars hiring Vols’ Jerry Mack as running backs coach

The Jaguars reportedly filled another vacancy on their coaching staff.

A couple days after reports indicated the Jacksonville Jaguars were eying Jerry Mack to be their new running backs coach, it appears they’ve landed their target.

According to Matt Zenitz of 247Sports, the Jaguars are hiring Mack to fill the void left by the firing of Bernie Parmalee.

Mack, 43, hasn’t coached in the NFL before and spent the first two decades of his career in the collegiate ranks. He previously coached wide receivers at Memphis and South Alabama before serving as head coach of North Carolina Central.

In 2018, Mack spent three years as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Rice. For the last three seasons, he’s been the running backs coach at Tennessee where he coached Jaylen Wright to a 1,000-yard season in 2023.

The Jaguars’ running game could use a boost after finishing 30th in yards per attempt. While Travis Etienne Jr. eclipsed 1,000 yards for the second straight season, backups Tank Bigsby and D’Ernest Johnson combined for just 240 rushing yards.

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Jaguars reportedly eying Vols’ Jerry Mack to be RB coach

The Jaguars are reportedly looking to the college ranks to fill their running backs coach vacancy.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are on the verge of finalizing an agreement to hire Tennessee Volunteers assistant coach Jerry Mack to their coaching staff, according to 247Sports. Mack would reportedly fill the Jaguars’ running backs coach vacancy.

Mack, 43, has spent his entire coaching career in the collegiate ranks with stops at Memphis and Rice, among other schools, as well as a head coaching stint at North Carolina Central. In 2021, he landed at Tennessee as running backs coach.

With the Volunteers, Mack coached a rushing attack that finished the 2023 season 10th in the country in yards per game with 204.9. Junior Jaylen Wright led the way for the program with 1,013 yards and four touchdowns in only 12 games and backups Dylan Sampson and Jabari Small combined for more than 1,000 yards in relief of Wright.

The Jaguars have a rising star at the running back position in Travis Etienne Jr., but they’ve struggled to find another player to spell him. Despite investing in the draft by selecting Snoop Conner and Tank Bigsby, and also signing D’Ernest Johnson in free agency, the team’s rushing game has predominantly gone through Etienne.

Jacksonville finished the 2023 season with the third fewest yards per carry (3.6), ahead of only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints. Bernie Parmalee was fired as running backs coach shortly after the year ended.

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Jerry Mack details what stands out about Georgia’s defense

Tennessee running backs coach Jerry Mack details what stands out about Georgia’s defense.

No. 1 Georgia (10-0, 7-0 SEC) will play at No. 19 Tennessee (7-3, 3-3 SEC) on Saturday in Week 12 (3:30 p.m. EST, CBS).

Third-year running backs coach Jerry Mack discussed what stands out about Georgia’s defense ahead of the matchup.

“The number one thing that stands out is their ability to rotate so many different people at the line of scrimmage with their front seven,” Mack said. “When you look at their defensive line, when you look at the linebacker core, the biggest thing is it is constant new bodies.

“As we go through all the film from the year, there is always a new body, new linebacker, new defensive lineman. They also do a really good job of shift blocks. Those guys do a good job at two-gapping, playing through the defender and making sure they shed and get to the ball carrier. The speed is something that jumps at you as well. Across the board all of those guys can run, so that is one of things I feel like stands out constantly against them.”

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Jerry Mack previews Tennessee-Alabama game week

Vols’ running backs coach Jerry Mack previews Tennessee-Alabama game week.

No. 15 Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC) ranks fifth nationally in rushing offense after Week 7.

The Vols are averaging 231.3 rushing yards per game. Tennessee has totaled 1,388 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns through six games.

Jaylen Wright leads Tennessee in rushing yards (571) entering Week 8. Jabari Small has totaled 359 rushing yards, while Dylan Sampson has recorded 273 for the Vols.

Quarterback Joe Milton III has recorded 173 rushing yards.

PHOTOS: A look at Tennessee running backs through the years

Third-year running backs coach Jerry Mack met with media on Tuesday and previewed the Vols’ Week 8 matchup at No. 8 Alabama (6-1, 4-0 SEC).

Everything Mack said during his media availability is listed below.

Jerry Mack details South Carolina’s defense

Tennessee running backs coach Jerry Mack details South Carolina’s defense.

South Carolina (2-2, 1-1 SEC) enters its Week 5 contest at No. 19 Tennessee (3-1, 0-1 SEC) with the No. 121 overall defense in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

The Gamecocks are No. 126 in passing defense and No. 48 in rushing defense through four games.

Third-year Tennessee running backs coach Jerry Mack met with media on Tuesday and discussed South Carolina’s defense.

“The front seven is really good,” Mack said. “Really impressed with the linebacker position. Those guys fly around, they are really aggressive, physical, you can see the improvement that they had in their group from year-to-year over the last few years that we have been playing.

“I think at my position, specifically, we just have to do a really good job and continue to run with physicality in between the tackles. There’s going to be tough, tight runs in those windows and those lanes are going to be smaller as we get into more SEC play. You know some of those other games, sometimes that grass that the offensive line is creating is extremely big because of the competition that you are playing. Man, in the SEC, it is not like that. Those seams become smaller and smaller, and when they do open up, they close a lot faster just because of the people that we are playing with. We have to do a great job of seeing those, making decisive decisions and accelerating when we get that opportunity.”

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Cameron Seldon’s ability in kick return game detailed ahead of Week 1

Cameron Seldon’s ability in kick return game detailed ahead of Week 1.

No. 10 Tennessee will open its 2023 season on Saturday versus Virginia.

Kickoff between the Vols and Cavaliers is slated for noon EDT (ABC) at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.

Third-year running backs coach Jerry Mack met with media on Tuesday and discussed freshman Cameron Seldon.

The 6-foot-2, 222-pound Seldon is listed as the fourth running back and a co-starter as a kick returner on the Vols’ depth chart ahead of playing Virginia.

Mack discussed Seldon’s ability in the kick return game.

“I think the biggest thing is first of all, he is a guy with an innate ability to catch the football,” Mack said. “He played a lot of receiver in high school, so that carries over obviously as a kickoff returner. If you want him to return punts, he probably could do that as well.

“The second thing is, we use the term running through the smoke. Big guy that’s 6-foot, 6-one, 220 pounds right now, and he’s not really afraid of any contact. He will run through those small creases, especially on kickoff return when you got those guys on kickoff team coming at you full speed. Cam has that ability to run through the smoke. He understands his strength and he’s a big, strong, strong guy who can do that.”

PHOTOS: Tennessee running backs through the years