Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson revealed Monday that assistant wide receivers coach, Tyler Tettleton, will serve as Jacksonville’s primary interim running backs coach after Jerry Mack left the team to become Kennesaw State’s head coach this week.
Kennesaw State announced it had hired Mack as the program’s next head coach during Jacksonville’s 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday. Mack remained with the Jaguars through the final whistle but began his new role with the Owls on Tuesday.
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“Tyler Tettleton, who’s been in that room before, we’re going to just sort of give him some running back responsibilities,” Pederson said. “He’s coached them a little bit on the side the last couple of years. Been in that room, understands what we’re doing offensively.
“So, we’ll spread it out a little bit, but Tyler will be the main focal point there.”
Jaguars offensive quality control assistant Jamel Mutunga will assist Tettleton in the role, per Pederson.
Tettleton joined Jacksonville’s coaching staff in March 2022, leaving on-field, running back coaching and pass-game coordinating positions with the Ohio Bobcats to become an offensive quality control assistant with the Jaguars.
An Ohio alumnus, Tettleton played quarterback for the Bobcats from 2009-13. He holds the program’s all-time passing records, career and single-season, for yards (9,125 and 3,302) and touchdowns (67 and 28).
Before his return to Ohio, Tettleton served as an offensive analyst for the LSU Tigers in 2020, an offensive quality control coach for the Cleveland Browns in 2019, a scouting assistant with the New York Jets in 2018 and a graduate assistant with the Oklahoma Sooners from 2015-17.
Tettleton operated as an assistant running backs coach in his first season with the Jaguars before moving to assistant wide receivers coach ahead of the 2023 campaign.
“It’ll be a good opportunity for him these next couple of weeks to really have a position group and then coach them and lead those guys,” Pederson expressed.
The Jaguars hired Mack away from the same role at the University of Tennessee in February, to replace Bernie Parmalee, who was among nine Jacksonville coaching assistants fired following the 2023 season.
After finishing No. 30 in the NFL in yards per rush (3.6) and No. 24 in yards per game (96.8) in 2023, the Jaguars rank No. 12 (4.5) and No. 25 (101.3) in those respective categories through Week 13 this season.
Jacksonville’s primary running backs, Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby, have combined to rush for 918 yards and six touchdowns over 197 carries.
“Let me just say with Jerry, appreciate what he did with that running back room,” said Pederson.
“[Mack] did a great job coming in and getting those guys prepared each week and wish him nothing but the best. This will be a great opportunity for Jerry to be a head coach again in college football and get that program going, and excited to watch him there.”
