Mark Hogan said the “timing is interesting and a little unusual” that he will leave Georgia State, where he was the first signee in football program history, to enroll in and play for North Carolina-Charlotte, which is also starting a program. He hasn’t filled out his paperwork yet but said he will.
“It’s also exciting to be a part of,” he said.
Hogan arrived on campus to much fanfare as the first recruit signed by former coach Bill Curry. Hogan’s father, Mark, played for Curry at Georgia Tech.
Mark Hogan played outside linebacker for two years before moving to inside linebacker last year. He will leave as the leading tackler (157) in program history.
More importantly, he will leave with two degrees. He finished an undergraduate degree in finance and is expected to finish another in managerial science this spring.
He is enrolling in Charlotte to pursue a Master’s degree with a focus in liberal studies. His parents live in Charlotte.
He’s not leaving before he plays a second and final season on Georgia State’s baseball team. He led the team with a .319 batting average and .448 on-base percentage.
He will bring a lot of experience to Charlotte in building a football program.
He said it will be important for the 49ers’ players to understand what to expect out of teammates, and for coaches to set expectations for players. He said players and fans shouldn’t get caught up in the rush to FBS. Charlotte will begin as an FCS indepedent before moving up to FBS, where it will play in Conference USA, in 2015.
“It’s hard but also exciting at the same time because you are doing something no one’s ever done before,” Hogan said.
He said he will always be a fan of Georgia State, crediting the university for building his future.
“I’m a Panther supporter now and always will be,” he said. “The fact that I came in here as the first player is something special to me. Every Saturday and Sunday I’ll be looking to see what Georgia State does.”
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