Head football coach Kenni Burns was put on administrative leave by Kent State.
The school did not say why the action was taken. Offensive coordinator Mark Carney is now in charge of on-field activities as the team is in the midst of spring ball. Executive deputy athletic director Greg Glaus, who oversees the football team, is dealing with the program’s administrative duties.
Burns is 1-23 as the team’s head coach over the past two seasons. The Golden Flashes were the lone winless team in the FBS in 2024 as they went 0-12.
If Burns isn’t Kent State’s head coach during the 2025 season, here are some coaches who might be interested in the job.
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Kent State Offensive Coordinator Mark Carney
Considering the uncertainty the program faces, perhaps elevating a coach currently on the staff would provide some stability. And considering he’s taken more of a leadership role in recent days, Mark Carney would make sense.
Carney was in his first season as Kent State’s offensive coordinator in 2024. The Golden Flashes struggled on offense, but they did have some bright spots. Wide receivers Chrishon McCray, who was in the top 20 in the country with nine touchdown receptions, and Luke Floriea both earned All-MAC accolades last season.
Previously, Carney was Kent State’s tight ends coach. Before that, he was at Charlotte for four years and was the team’s OC for three seasons. He was also an offensive coordinator at Virginia State and Baldwin-Wallace. He coached wide receivers at Bowling Green and Richmond, where he also worked with quarterbacks. He began his coaching career at Fordham, where he was an All-American quarterback, as a student assistant.
Former Kent State Player Josh Cribbs
There’s little doubt former Kent State star Josh Cribbs would help infuse some energy into the program, which badly needs it.
Cribbs has publicly said he would be interested in the job. He still owns many program records from his days playing quarterback for the Golden Flashes. He’s first in program record books with 10,838 total yards, 7,169 passing yards, and 42 total touchdowns. His No. 9 was retired at Kent State.
His experience in the NFL could also be beneficial in recruiting. He tied an NFL record with eight kick returns for touchdowns, as he is best remembered for his days playing wide receiver and returning kicks for the Cleveland Browns. After his playing days, he was a special teams intern for the Browns.
Perhaps Cribbs would be a name to watch here.
Notre Dame Offensive Coordinator Mike Denbrock
Denbrock would make a ton of sense for Kent State if he were interested.
Denbrock has coached in the area for years. He’s worked with offensive linemen, tight ends, and wide receivers over the years at Notre Dame, but he’s also coached at a variety of other schools as well. He was LSU’s OC and tight ends coach before this from 2022-23, and was an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Cincinnati from 2017-21.
Denbrock hasn’t been a head coach at the collegiate level, but he has been an associate head coach, including at Notre Dame from 2015-16 and at Indiana State in 2009.
Denbrock’s name has come up plenty of times when it comes to potential head coaching hires. If he were open to taking a G5 head coaching job, Kent State would be a good fit.
Kansas State Assistant Head Coach Van Malone
Malone hasn’t been a head coach at the collegiate level yet, but he has a good amount of experience as a coordinator and positions coach at several FBS programs.
Malone, who is also a defensive passing game coordinator and a cornerbacks coach, has been at Kansas State since 2019. The Wildcats have been in the top 20 in the nation in a number of metrics and several K-State defensive backs have earned All-Big 12 accolades during Malone’s tenure.
Previously, Malone was a defensive quality control coach at Mississippi State (2018) and a defensive coordinator at SMU (2015-17). He also worked with defensive backs at Oklahoma State (2012-14), Tulsa (2010-11), Texas A&M (2006-09), North Texas (2005), and Western Michigan (2004). He was a wide receivers coach at North Dakota State in 2003, so he has worked with both sides of the ball. He also coached special teams at Western Michigan and North Texas.
Malone has the experience needed to be a great candidate.
Minnesota Vikings Assistant Charlie Frye
Frye recently took a job as a defensive assistant for the Minnesota Vikings, but he has a good resume and knows the MAC well.
Frye was a successful quarterback at Akron, where he was a four-year starter and broke numerous records. He was picked in the third round of the NFL Draft in 2005 by the Cleveland Browns and spent half a decade in the league.
He began his coaching career at the high school level and eventually worked as a consultant/director of player development at Florida from 2015-17. He was an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the collegiate level for the first time at Central Michigan from 2019-20. He then coached quarterbacks with the Miami Dolphins in 2021 before being an offensive analyst and analytics coordinator at Penn State in 2022. He was at FAU as an OC and QBs coach the following two years.
Frye would be a good name for Kent State to consider.
