With nine years experience at five NCAA Division I programs, Jerry Mack enters his second season as South Alabama’s wide receivers coach.
In his first year with the Jaguars, three individuals finished among the top five on the school’s season record lists for receptions and receiving yards, highlighted by the performance of Jeremé Jones; the redshirt sophomore set new standards with 45 catches and seven touchdown receptions while recording 513 yards, the second-highest total in program history. Bryant Lavender had his best season in four years as a Jag after finishing with career highs of 41 receptions and 278 yards, as did Corey Besteda, who posted 28 catches for 430 yards.
And, Mack helped Gabe Loper transition from defensive back to wide receiver during the season, with the senior collecting 17 catches for 281 yards — for a team-high 16.5 yard-per-reception average — as five wide receivers would end the year with a double-digit reception total.
In his final season at Memphis in 2011, Mack helped Tannar Rehrer rank among the top 10 in Conference USA — and among the top 50 in the country — in receptions per game after making 70 catches for 593 yards and four touchdowns. In all, six different Tiger wideouts recorded a double-digit reception total in his only season with the program while four of those individuals scored at least one touchdown.
He first worked with wide receivers as an assistant at Jackson State from 2006-07. While with the Tigers, he was part of a staff that led the program to the Southwestern Athletic Conference title in 2007, and his efforts helped Jaymar Johnson get selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth round of the 2008 National Football League Draft. Mack was selected to coach in the Heritage Bowl all-star contest following his second season on staff.
Mack was the receivers coach and passing game coordinator at Central Arkansas during the 2008 and ’09 campaigns as well. The Bears finished 10-2 in his first season on staff, ranking 10th at the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly NCAA Division I-AA) level in total offense while finishing 12th in the final Sports Network poll. In two seasons, Mack had three receivers earn honorable mention all-Southland Conference accolades while 14 UCA players on the offensive side of the ball received all-league recognition during that span; that included Nathan Brown being voted the conference Player of the Year in 2008.
In 2010, Mack was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Golden Lions finished that fall second in the SWAC in passing and total offense, ranking in the top 30 nationally in both categories. Individually, Raymond Webber was a candidate for the Walter Payton Award— presented to the top offensive player at the FCS level — and named to eight different All-America teams after leading the country in receiving yards per contest while standing second in catches per outing. Josh Boudreaux was second-team all-conference after finishing 12th in the country in total offense and 16th in passing yards.
A native of Memphis, Mack began his collegiate playing career at Jackson State before transferring after one season to Arkansas State. He would letter three times at ASU before earning his bachelor’s degree from the school in management information systems. Mack would go on to get his master’s degree in physical education from Delta State in 2006 after serving on the Statesmen coaching staff as a graduate assistant.
He has also completed three internships in the NFL with the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills.
Mack and his wife Starlett have two sons, Jaden and Jaxon, and one daughter, Skyler.
The Mack File
Born: Oct. 24, 1980, in Memphis, Tenn.
Education:
Arkansas State ’03, bachelor’s degree in management information systems
Delta State ’06, master’s degree in physical education
Collegiate Playing Experience:
Three years, wide receiver, Arkansas State
One year, wide receiver, Jackson State
Coaching Experience:
Delta State — graduate assistant, 2004-05
Jackson State — assistant coach, 2006-07
Central Arkansas — assistant coach, 2008-09
Arkansas-Pine Bluff — assistant coach, 2010
Memphis — assistant coach, 2011
South Alabama — assistant coach, 2012-
Family: Wife, Starlett; Two sons, Jaden (8) and Jaxon (1), and one daughter, Skyler (7)
