WASHINGTON, D.C. – North Carolina Central University football head coach Jerry Mack was announced as the HBCU Male Coach of the Year during the seventh annual HBCU Awards ceremony, presented by HBCU Digest on Friday night in Washington, D.C.
Mack was one of six finalists for the award, along with Alan Green of Xavier University of Louisiana, Montez Robinson of Alcorn State University, Mike Newell of Dillard University, Reggie Barlow of Virginia State University, and David Six of Hampton University.
In Mack’s third season as head coach at NCCU, the 2016 Eagles collected the most wins in the program’s Division I era with a 9-3 overall record and an unbeaten 8-0 mark in league play. NCCU defeated nationally-ranked North Carolina A&T 42-21 on Nov. 19 to capture the MEAC championship and earn the league’s bid to the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. After sharing the league crown in 2014 and 2015, the Eagles became the conference’s first outright champion since 2012.
The Eagles received their first national ranking as a Division I-FCS program on Nov. 7, when the FCS Coaches Poll announced NCCU at No. 25. By the end of the regular season, the Eagles jumped to No. 18 and finished at No. 19 in the final poll.
NCCU broke the school’s single-season record with 4,614 yards of total offense, averaging 384.5 total yards per game. The Eagles were also the second-highest scoring team in school history with 347 points. The Eagles made more history this season by becoming the first NCCU football team to win a third consecutive conference championship.
The HBCU Digest Male Coach of the Year award joins a list of other recognitions from Mack’s third season as head coach. He was also honored as Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Football Coach of the Year, American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) FCS Regional Coach of the Year, Black College Sports Page “Baad Team” Coach of the Year, The Pigskin Club in Washington, D.C. HBCU Football Coach of the Year, BOXTOROW HBCU Football co-Coach of the Year, and a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award as the FCS Coach of the Year.
Taking over a program that posted a losing record prior to his arrival in Durham, Mack has led the Eagles to an overall record of 24-11, including a 21-3 mark against conference opponents. His 24 victories are more than any NCCU football coach has ever collected in their first three seasons.
Courtesy: NCCU Athletics
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