UNCP Athletics

An 18-year collegiate coaching veteran with previous stops at two other NCAA Division II institutions, Mark Hall was named the third head coach in the modern day era of the UNC Pembroke football program on Dec. 14, 2022.
 
Hall ventured to Pembroke after serving 15 years on the coaching staff at Chowan, including the last two seasons as the head coach of the Hawks. He also has a previous stint as the offensive coordinator for Urbana from 2005-08.

Hall instantly changed the culture of the UNCP program, leading the Black & Gold to a 7-3 record in his debut season in 2023. Hall made an immediate impact on the offense, taking over a unit that in 2022 averaged 121 rushing yards per game, 331 total yards per game, and 25 points per game and leading them to a top 12 finish in Division II in all three. The Black & Gold rushed for 220 yards per game, averaged 453 yards per game, and scored 40 points per game. The Black & Gold made big strides on the defensive side of the ball, as well, finishing third in Division II in sacks per game (3.8) and leading the country in tackles for loss per game (10.9). The massive improvement on the field led to 11 Braves picking up All-Mountain East Conference accolades, including running back Sincere Baines being named MEC Offensive Freshman of the Year and defensive end Jamae Blank earning MEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Blank would go on to be the first Brave since 2017 to be named to the Don Hansen All-American Team, while defensive lineman Raydarius Freeman became the first Academic All-American since the 2013 season.

The 2024 season saw the Braves finish 6-5 overall, with a 6-3 record in Mountain East Conference play. The Black & Gold finished the year ranked inside the top ten, nationally, in six different categories. The offense ranked fifth in scoring offense (43.5 PPG), seventh in passing offense (298 YPG), and eighth in total offense (467.4 YPG), while the defense was second in defensive touchdowns (six) and fumble recoveries (13), and fourth in takeaways (28). The Braves saw a record 13 players pick up All-MEC honors, including five first-teamers, while Jo Hayes was named to the D2CCA All-Region team, as well becoming just the second player in program history to be named to the AFCA All-America team.

Hall compiled a 14-7 record at the helm of the program at Chowan, including a 7-4 mark in 2022 that culminated in the program’s first Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) North Division title, as well as an appearance in the CIAA championship game. He engineered a 4-game turnaround for the program in his first season as head coach in 2021 as the Hawks posted a 7-3 clip – the most wins for the program since 1983, and the best win-loss finish in the NCAA era for the squad.
 
Across two seasons as skipper, Hall mentored a dozen all-conference selections, as well as a trio of all-region picks, while also seeing the program rake in 25 conference weekly laurels and a national player of the week nod. The Hawks showcased the country’s 25th-best total offense (432.2 yards/game) during the run to excellence in his first season as head coach, and ranked second among the nation’s 164 NCAA Division II squads with 9.2 tackles for loss per game in 2022, as well as the country’s sixth-best sacks per game (3.55) tally. Chowan also averaged 38.5 points per game in 2022 – a number which ranked 12th, nationally.
 
Hall joined the coaching staff at Chowan in 2008 as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator, and guided an offense that consistently ranked among the nation’s top squads. The Hawks were one of just eight NCAA Division II teams to register more than 500 yards of offense and 40 points per game in 2018, and finished that campaign ranked sixth in total offense (511.7 yards/game) and seventh in scoring offense (41.9 points/game). Fueled by one of the nation’s top running backs in 2019, Chowan registered NCAA Division II’s sixth-best rushing offense (275.2 yards/game) and 15th-best total offense (475.1) the following season.
 
As the offensive coordinator for Chowan, Hall also provided tutelage for a pair of CIAA Offensive Player of the Year selections, as well as 18 All-CIAA recipients and an all-American.
 
Hall dove into the coaching world as a graduate assistant coach at Urbana from 2005-06, and later as offensive coordinator in 2007, and helped pace his alma mater to 17 victories across three seasons, including a pair of winning campaigns. The Blue Knights averaged better than 327 yards per game during Hall’s tenure, including a 2006 campaign that watched the squad tack up nearly 350 yards a contest. The Blue Knights also tallied four wins over top 25 opponents with Hall on staff as well.
 
A regular in the wide receiver rotation for the Blue Knights in 2004, Hall earned his bachelor’s degree in sports and leisure activities from Urbana in 2003, and completed his graduate work in classroom management at Urbana in 2007. Hall and his wife, Amy, are the proud parents of two daughters, Avery and Makaylin.
 

HEAD COACHING RECORD