Football
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- football@kent.edu
Updated June 2026
Mark Carney joined Kent State in January of 2023 as the tight ends coach. Carney was elevated to offensive coordinator ahead of the 2024 season and was named interim head coach in April 2025. Carney was officially named the 24th head coach of Kent State football on October 30, 2025.
In 2025, Carney led the Flashes to a 5-7 record and a five-game improvement, the second-largest turnaround in program history and the fourth-largest in the nation. In conference play, the Flashes went 4-4 for the first time since 2022. The Flashes also saw five players selected to the All-MAC Teams (Da’Realyst Clark, CJ Young, Jamond Mathis, Cade Wolford, and Mason Woods). Clark was also named the MAC Specialist of the Year after he had two kick return touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown in the Flashes’ season-opener versus Merrimack. Under Carney’s leadership, the Flashes had two of the top returners in the country as Clark ranked 4th in kickoff returns and Wayne Harris ranked 11th in punt returns. Carney also developed Dru DeShields into one of the top quarterbacks in the MAC, ranking in the top five in: passing efficiency, passing touchdowns, passing yards per game, passing yards per completion, points responsible for per game, and yards per pass attempt. Carney also brought the Wagon Wheel back home in his first game versus Akron, winning 42-35 in overtime.
In 2024, the Golden Flashes were one of the top big-play teams in the passing game, ranking 21st in the nation at 13.5 yards per completion. Quarterback Tommy Ulatowski ranked second in the nation, averaging 16.7 yards per completion. Carney’s offense also featured one of the best receivers in the nation, Chrishon McCray, who ranked 20th with 9 touchdowns and 30th with an average of 17.63 yards per reception. The Golden Flashes saw two receivers named to the All-MAC Team this season: Chrishon McCray (2nd Team) and Luke Floriea (3rd Team).
During the 2023 season, Carney coached the tight ends, and Justin Holmes finished fifth on the team with 20 receptions for 188 receiving yards.
Carney came to Kent State after four seasons with the Charlotte 49ers, including three as offensive coordinator. In his three seasons at the helm of the 49ers’ offense, Charlotte averaged nearly 400 yards of offense. In his first season in Charlotte, he helped lead the 49ers to a school record for wins (7) and a trip to the Bahamas Bowl.
Before his time in Charlotte, Carney was the offensive coordinator at Virginia State. The Trojans went 29-12 in his four seasons, including a 2017 CIAA title with a perfect 7-0 league record.
He also has stops as the offensive coordinator at Baldwin-Wallace in 2014 and coached wide receivers at Bowling Green for five years. During his time with the Falcons, Bowling Green went to three bowl games. Carney also coached quarterbacks and wide receivers at Richmond from 2004-08, helping the Spiders reach the FCS playoffs three times, including the 2008 FCS National Championship game.
Carney started coaching at his alma mater, Fordham, serving as a student assistant in 2002-03 after his playing career. He was a four-year letter winner for the Rams, earning All-Patriot League and honorable mention All-America honors at quarterback.
Mark and his wife, Sarah, have three children: Devyn, Marcus, and Andrew.
