Mark Carney contract update: Latest news on Kent State HC's new deal after Golden Flashes offer him permanent status

Kent State has promoted Mark Carney from interim to permanent head coach. Carney earned the promotion after significantly improving the team's fortunes since he took over ahead of the ongoing campaign.

According to Paul Thamel, sources state that Mark Carney’s deal to be Kent State’s permanent coach includes four additional seasons through 2029. He will make $550,000 annually, with a base of $450,000. Furthermore, he will get an additional year if Kent State reaches a bowl game.

Carney joined the Kent State Golden Flashes in 2023 as a tight ends coach. He was subsequently promoted to offensive coordinator during former head coach Kenni Burns' tenure.

In March 2025, Carney was named the Golden Flashes' interim head coach as Burns was put on administrative leave. He's since led the team to a 3-5 record and earned his first full-time collegiate head coach role.

Mark Carney's Kent State is vying for bowl game eligibility

The Kent State Golden Flashes had a nightmarish 2024 campaign. The Golden Flashes ended the season with a 0-12 record and suffered numerous embarrassing losses. It turned out to be Kenni Burns' last year on the job as the program opted to move in a different direction for the 2025 season.

Mark Carney has brought stability to the program, and his efforts have seen the team record their first wins since the 2023 season. Furthermore, the program secured its first win over an FBS opponent since 2022, defeating UMass.

Kent State athletic director Randale L. Richmond released a statement announcing Carney's elevation to permanent status. The statement reads,

"Since taking over as interim head coach, Mark has instilled belief, togetherness, and a winning culture into our football program. The way he’s positively impacted this team, this department, this campus, and this community, he’s earned the right to lead this program."

Kent State is currently 3-5 and just three wins away from securing bowl game eligibility. Their next game is against Ball State, and they will fancy their chances in the upcoming showdown. The rest of their games in the 2025 college football season are against Akron, Central Michigan, and Northern Illinois.

Edited by Nick Igbokwe