As Mark Carney enters Year 2 atop the Kent State program and full control following an impressive season as the interim head coach, he's continuing to reshape his Kent State coaching staff.
And, now, sources tell FootballScoop. Carney is hiring one of the sport's top young coaches.
Braxton Champman is set to become Kent State's new running backs coach, FootballScoop has learned.
The 26-year-old Chapman immediately becomes one of the youngest, on-field assistant coaches in Football Bowls Subdivision competition, arriving after two seasons on staff at Football Championship Subdivision program Dartmouth.
Prior to his work for the Big Green, which included both special teams coaching and the running backs, Chapman served as a graduate assistant coach at Coastal Carolina and also was on staff at Northern Illinois.
Also Chapman's alma mater, where he finished his playing career, it was at Northern Illinois that he got his first college job as a quality control coach.
Chapman initiated his playing career at FCS Youngstown State before he capped it with the NIU, which he helped to a Mid-American Conference Championship.
Carney was named the interim coach at Kent State last year when the school fired Kenni Burns in the offseason.
All Carney proceeded to do was lead Kent State to a 5-7 season, a marked turnaround from the program's disastrous 0-12 campaign in 2024, that included an impressive 4-4 ledger in MAC play. The Golden Flashes under Carney won three of their final five games, including a significant season-ending triumph at conference rival Northern Illinois.
Kent State is scheduled to open its 2026 season Sept. 5 at Shane Beamer's South Carolina Gamecocks.