Mark Hall enters his 15th season with the Chowan football program and second as head coach after spending the last 12 seasons as the Offensive Coordinator and the Quarterbacks/Wide Receivers coach.
In his first season at the helm, Hall and company would produce the best season in the NCAA era for the Hawks with a 7-3 overall record and a 4-3 record in CIAA action. The Hawks won their first five games of the season, leading to the program’s first-ever national ranking checking in at #25 in the AFCA poll.
Under Hall, the Hawks continued to be a top-25 offense as Bryce Witt was named CIAA Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-CIAA recording 31 passing touchdowns, 11 rushing touchdowns, and 2,864 passing yards, all program record setting marks. The Hawks produced a program-record five All-CIAA First Team selections: Bryce Witt (QB), Imeek Watkins (WR/KR), David Keck (OL), and Rafiq Abdul-Wahid (DL), while adding four Second Team selections. Isaac Anderson was named CIAA Defensive Rookie of the Year for the first time in program history.
Bryce Witt and Imeek Watkins were named D2CCA All-Region along with Don Hansen All-American Honors.
Hall would go 2-2 as the interim head coach during the 2019 season. The 2020 season would be canceled due to COVID-19.
During the 2019 season, Hall’s offense produced two Don Hansen DII All-Americans in Deshaun Wethington and Donald Boone. Both were named All-Super Region II First Team, and All-CIAA First Team. Wethington, Boone, and the rest of the offense had the 15th-ranked total offense and sixth ranked rushing offense in the country and the best offense in the CIAA. Wethington was named NCAA Division II Statistical Champion in All-Purpose Yards with 183.50 yards per game. Statistically, the 2019 season was the best to date in rushing yards (2757) and rushing yards per game (275.7). Wethington broke the single-season rushing yard record with 1382.
Along with Wethington and Boone, Aaron Ray (Second), Imeek Watkins (Second), Rafiq Abdul-Wahid (Third), Cameron Smith (Rookie), and Aristotle Bowles (Rookie) were named All-CIAA.
As the Offensive Coordinator, Hall coached both CIAA Offensive Players of the Year (Robert Holland and CJ Westler), 18 All-CIAA recipients and an All-American (Robert Holland).
The 2018 season was the most successful under Hall. The offense produced program bests in rushing yards (2335), rushing touchdowns (28), rushing yards per game (233.5), completion percentage (62.1%), passing efficiency (162.8), passing touchdowns (29), and total offense (5117). The team’s 41.9 points per game finished seventh in Division II and second in the CIAA. Chowan produced 511.7 yards per game of total offense ranking sixth in the country and top of the CIAA. The balanced offensive attack led to Bryce Witt (QB) breaking the single-season passing touchdown record of 27 and Tyrell Freeman (RB) becoming the single-season rushing yards record holder with 1292 rushing yards. Witt would also break the single-game passing yards mark with 439 yards passing against McKendree. Tyrell Freeman and Torry Baker were named All-CIAA First Team. Bryce Witt and Paul Gooden picked up All-CIAA Second Team Honors.
In 2017, the Chowan offense posted the second most rushing yards in a single-season (1627) and averaged 4.56 yards per carry to pace the offense behind nearly a 1000 yard rusher in Tyrell Freeman. Bryce Witt, freshman starting quarterback, finished with 1992 passing yards and 19 touchdowns. Torry Baker would earn All-CIAA Second Team honors. Bryce Witt and Ra’Cee Lucas were named to the CIAA All-Rookie team.
During the 2016 season, Coach Hall developed Randall Dixon and Tyrone Carter into playmakers for the Hawks. Dixon would set the single game passing yardage mark with 404 yards and five touchdowns breaking the previous record holder, CJ Westler, under Hall’s system. Both Dixon and Carter garnered All-CIAA Second Team Honors.
He was instrumental in cultivating national talent, Robert Holland. The 2013 CIAA Offensive Player of the Year holds all of the Chowan receiving records and set the CIAA and then-NCAA DII career record (325) during his final season. Holland was drafted to the Calgary Stampeders as part of the Canadian Football League.
In 2012, he helped wide receiver Ryan Nolan to a spot on the CIAA All-Rookie Team. Nolan started all 10 games during his rookie campaign, and led the Hawks in receptions (39), season receiving yards (634) and touchdowns (6).
As a team in 2012, the Hawks averaged 430.7 yards of offense per game, and averaged 32.8 points per game during their first winning season since 1999.
During the first two seasons with the Hawks, transfer quarterback CJ Westler, helped the team transition into the CIAA being named CIAA Offensive Player of the Year in 2009.
Hall started his collegiate coaching career at his alma mater, Urbana University, in 2005 as an assistant coach. Hall was promoted to Co-Offensive Coordinator during the 2007 season. Hall graduated from Urbana with a Bachelors degree in Sports Leisure Activities in 2005. While coaching, Hall received his Masters of Education degree in 2007 from Urbana.
He is a member of the American Football Coaches Association and also serves as a part time instructor in the SSPE Department at Chowan.
Hall and his wife, Amy, reside in Murfreesboro, N.C. with their two daughters, Avery and Makaylin.