Brian Bohannon is out as Kennesaw State’s coach with the Owls mired at 1-8
FILE - Kennesaw State head coach Brian Bohannon stands on the sidelines during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Cincinnati, Sept. 10, 2022, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean, File)
KENNESAW, Ga. (AP) — Brian Bohannon is out as Kennesaw State football coach with the Owls mired at 1-8 in their first season as an FBS program.
The university announced that the only coach in program history resigned Sunday morning, but Bohannon said he was fired.
“This morning I was informed directly from AD Overton that he was making a change in leadership,” Bohannon wrote in a post on X. “Contrary to what’s been reported, I want to be clear that I did not step down from my position as head football coach at Kennesaw State University.”
Bohannon had guided the program at the university in the Atlanta suburbs since it was launched in 2015. He posted a record of 72-38 that included three Big South Conference championships and four FCS playoff appearances.
But the Owls have struggled since beginning the move to college football’s top division. They went 3-6 a year ago in their transition season and lost their first six games of 2024 before a 27-24 upset of Liberty, snapping the Flames’ 17-game winning streak in the regular season.
Two more losses, including a 43-35 setback against UTEP in double overtime this past Saturday, finished off Bohannon’s tenure.
“Coach Brian Bohannon informed me this morning that he has decided to step down as our head football coach,” athletic director Milton Overton said in a statement. “Coach Bohannon led Kennesaw State into the football era, poured his heart and soul into this program, and represented our university with the highest standards of professionalism and character.”
Co-offensive coordinator Chandler Burks will take over as interim head coach for the final three games of the season while Kennesaw State searches for a new coach.
Bohannon quickly transformed Kennesaw State into one of the nation’s top FCS programs, twice leading the Owls to the national quarterfinals and two others times reaching the second round of the playoffs.
Kennesaw State had seven straight winning seasons and a record of 63-18 as a member of the Big South Conference.
But the Owls slipped to 5-6 after moving to the ASUN Conference in 2022 and struggled even more in one season as an independent before joining Conference USA this season.
“Since we started the football program, I have had the pleasure of coaching and working alongside so many great people,” Bohannon said. “I appreciate your hard work and dedication to this program.”
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