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KENNESAW, Ga. | Sep 22, 2023

When Brian Bohannon鈥檚 phone rang in March 2013 with an offer to become Kennesaw State鈥檚 first head football coach, he didn鈥檛 hesitate to accept.

At the time, the University had already laid the foundation to launch the program. It was situated in fertile recruiting grounds in metro Atlanta. It had an 8,300-seat stadium with 101 lockers, enough to house an entire football team. Bohannon 鈥� then the quarterbacks coach at Georgia Tech 鈥� wouldn鈥檛 even need to relocate his family from their Woodstock home.

鈥淚t was a no-brainer,鈥� said Bohannon, who recently celebrated his 10^th year leading the football program. 鈥淭his came at a point in time when I was ready to step out on my own, and I was excited about the prospect.鈥�

Prior to interviewing at KSU, Bohannon had built an impressive coaching resume. In addition to his tenure at Georgia Tech, he had stops at Georgia Southern and Navy. Having learned under College Football Hall of Fame coach Paul Johnson, he was poised for his next challenge.

Building Culture from Scratch

It wasn鈥檛 until Bohannon sat at his new desk inside the KSU Convocation Center that he fully realized the task at hand. He had no footballs, helmets, coaches or players. With the 2015 inaugural season looming, he could only sell recruits and staff on a vision.

It was that vision that convinced recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach Liam Klein to join the budding program.

鈥淭he first time I heard Coach Bohannon's vision for the program, it was clear, direct and purposeful,鈥� Klein said. 鈥淔rom the very beginning, this culture was established through the coaches and staff, bought into by a group of determined young men, and it still thrives today. Successful teams are built upon culture, and it is a big reason why there has been success from the start.鈥�

Building a winning culture isn鈥檛 just 鈥渃oach speak鈥�; it鈥檚 reflected in the achievements the program has collected over the years.

Since 2015, Bohannon has produced the winningest startup program in college football history, leading the Owls to three conference championships and earning the 2017 American Football Coaching Association鈥檚 Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) National Coach of the Year award. In that span, KSU football players have received All-America honors 25 times, with former quarterback and current assistant coach Chandler Burks finishing runner-up for the Walter Payton Award, the highest honor at the FCS level. For their work in the classroom, Owls have also been named to All-Academic teams 13 times during Bohannon鈥檚 tenure.

鈥淲hat we鈥檝e done here, I couldn鈥檛 just go and do somewhere else,鈥� Bohannon said, reflecting on the program鈥檚 success. 鈥淚 take such pride not just in what we do, but how we do it. I love winning, but the greatest thing for me is seeing our guys come in and embrace our culture. We want them to graduate and be successful in whatever it is that comes next, and, when they come back, I want them to say they were proud to be a part of this program.鈥�

To spend 10 years in one program is a rarity in the ever-changing landscape of college football. Only a handful of football coaches at the NCAA Division I level have longer tenures than Bohannon. KSU Athletic Director Milton Overton credits Bohannon鈥檚 longevity for the football program鈥檚 consistency.

鈥淎cross the board, it can be rare to find stability in this industry for this length of time,鈥� Overton said. 鈥淗aving consistent leadership over the program is a critical piece in what KSU football is and will be. We celebrate what coach Bohannon has built over the last decade and are excited about what our next chapter holds.鈥�

Taking the Next Step

The next chapter involves transitioning to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of Division I athletics, the highest level of football competition. KSU will officially join Conference USA in July 2024 as part of the move. While it鈥檚 not nearly as complex as starting a program from scratch, Bohannon said he sees similarities in retooling the program to compete at the next level.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a big jump to go to FBS, so we are definitely experiencing change in several areas, especially in recruiting,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e seen several players graduate and coaches take opportunities at the next level. We also shook things up by changing our schedule, and players have responded well to it. I see parallels to the early years of the program.鈥�

The team will also have more eyes on it than ever, playing games on national television against long established programs across the Southeast and beyond. Projecting out another 10 years, Bohannon hopes that KSU will become a household name.

鈥淚f we do everything we need to do and start off the right way at the next level, I truly believe the sky is the limit,鈥� Bohannon said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 going to take everyone pulling in the same direction. We need students, staff, alumni and the community to get behind the program, and we can do great things together.鈥�

If anyone is prepared to rally the KSU community, it鈥檚 Bohannon, said tight ends coach Stewart Cook. 

鈥淗is leadership and expectation for our program to meet the Gold Standard hasn鈥檛 stopped with this success,鈥� Cook said. 鈥淗is tenacity to teach and develop makes a life-changing impact on players, coaches, staff, fans and members of the community. Our KSU community is better because of the influence of coach Bohannon."

鈥� By Travis Highfield

Photos by Matthew Yung

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 网红头条 offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. 网红头条is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. 网红头条is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.