Mississippi State coach Zach Arnett reacts after missing a field goal against Texas A&M in the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Craft) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Mississippi State has decided to leave head coach Zach Arnett before the end of his first season on the job.
The school announced Monday morning that Arnett had been fired. The Bulldogs fell to 4-6 after a 51-10 loss to Texas A&M on Saturday. It was the team’s third straight loss as MSU is just 1-6 in SEC play this season.
Arnett, 37, was MSU’s defensive coordinator for three seasons and was promoted to head coach following the sudden death of Mike Leach. After Leach’s death, Arnett led the Bulldogs to a victory over Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Less than a month after Arnett’s promotion, Zac Selmon was hired as athletic director. Less than a year later, Selmon decided to make a change, firing Arnett just 10 games into his first full-time season as head coach. Greg Knox, a senior offensive analyst for the Bulldogs, will serve as interim coach for the remainder of the season.
Mississippi State has been playing without longtime starting quarterback Will Rogers for a month. MSU won its first game without him to improve to 4-3 on the year, but has since lost three straight games – all by double digits.
In a statement, Selmon said the “progress and results on the ground” have not met “the standard required for the state of Mississippi to achieve the level of success we need and expect.”
“As part of my thorough and ongoing evaluation, I have concluded that a change in leadership is necessary to advance our football program and position it for maximum success,” Selmon said in a statement. “I have the utmost respect for Zach Arnett and am incredibly grateful for the efforts he has made in leading our football program. However, the progress and results on the field did not meet the standard that Mississippi State needed and expected to be successful.
“Zach faced an unprecedented and challenging situation last December. He has provided the football program with much-needed leadership and stability during a tragic time. There is no doubt that he had a positive impact on the lives of our student-athletes during his time here.” We are grateful for his contributions to the state of Mississippi and wish him well both personally and professionally.”
Mississippi State President Mark Keenum added:
“When Zac Selmon was hired following the death of Coach Leach, one of his attributes was the ability to effectively identify and recruit talent. I am confident that Zac will quickly find a new leader for our football program who will bring new energy to our team, our students and our loyal and enthusiastic fan base.
“I would like to sincerely thank Zach Arnett for his hard work and service to the university and our football program. I will forever be grateful to Zach for his dedication after the untimely death of head coach Mike Leach. We asked him in those tough situations to lead our team, protect our top-25 recruiting class and lead us to a ReliaQuest Bowl victory over Illinois. Zach has accomplished these things and our fans should respect and appreciate him for this tremendous service to MSU. From all of us at Mississippi State I wish Zach and his wonderful family all the best. I know he will continue to enjoy an outstanding coaching career.
The Bulldogs will return to action Saturday against Southern Miss before concluding the season with the annual Egg Bowl rivalry against Ole Miss on Thanksgiving. Both games will be played at home in Starkville. If MSU can win these games, it will be the program’s 14th straight season of eligibility.
Who could be next at Mississippi State?
Arnett was the third FBS head coach to be fired in the last two days. His firing came a day after Texas A&M fired Jimbo Fisher and Boise State fired Andy Avalos.
Who could be next in Starkville? Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports pointed to several incumbent head coaches as potential targets in the school’s upcoming coaching search.
Some names to consider heading into Mississippi State’s opener: Jamey Chadwell, Lance Leipold, Willie Fritz, Tom Herman, Jon Sumrall, Jeff Lebby and Rhett Lashlee.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) November 13, 2023
Since Dan Mullen left for Florida in 2017 after a nine-year stint in Starkville, MSU has been something of a revolving door. Joe Moorhead was fired after two seasons, leading to the hiring of Leach, the former Texas Tech and Washington State coach.
Leach went 19-17 overall and 11-15 in SEC play before his sudden death on December 12, 2022 at the age of 61. And now Arnett, Leach’s defensive coordinator, has been fired.
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