Despite the otherwise underwhelming 1-8 start for the Kennesaw State Owls in their first year joining the FBS ranks, they have found themselves thrust into some of the college football spotlight this week.
Kennesaw State announced, rather shockingly and out of the blue, that they were going separate ways from head coach Brian Bohannon. In and of itself, this move isn’t entirely shocking at the Group of Five level, but what has come of it has raised some eyebrows.
In contrast to initial reports, Bohannon spoke out on X and stated that he did not step down but was informed of the school’s intent to go in another direction.
“This morning I was informed directly from AD Overton that he was making a change in leadership. 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. Since we started the football program, I have had the pleasure of coaching and working alongside so many great people. I appreciate your hard work and dedication to this program,” Bohannon said via his X account.
In response to that, Kennesaw State Director of Athletics Milton Overton issued a statement today sharing his side of the story.
“Over the last three years, the results on the football field failed to support our goal of building a competitive FBS program. Therefore, I determined it was time to make a leadership change to take the football program in a new direction. I advised Coach Bohannon of my decision, and, as is customary, offered him the opportunity to announce that he had stepped down. At the conclusion of our meeting, it was my understanding that Coach Bohannon had accepted my offer.
We remain appreciative of Coach Bohannon’s service and dedication to Kennesaw State University, our football program, and our student-athletes,” Overton said to state his timeline of events.
Kennesaw State began its football program in 2015 and has seen Bohannon at the helm since its inception. He tallied a 72-38 overall record and made multiple FCS playoff runs.
Bohannon and the Owls struggled this season, which is to be expected jumping up to FBS, but the separation begins a new era for Kennesaw State football moving forward.