Mississippi State fired head coach Zach Arnett Monday, less than a year after he took over from the late Mike Leach.
Arnett took over the Bulldogs on an interim basis after Leach’s untimely passing on Dec. 12. After leading the team to an emotional win in the ReliaQuest Bowl, Arnett was given the position full-time.
But the Bulldogs are 4-6 this season, including a dismal 1-6 in the SEC, and many fans have not been kind to Arnett.
Senior offensive analyst Greg Knox will serve as interim head coach.
Mississippi State athletic director Zac Selmon praised Arnett for taking over the program on short notice, but said it’s time to move on.
“As part of my thorough and continued evaluation, I have determined that a change in leadership is necessary to move our football program forward and position it for the highest level of success,” Selmon said in a statement (via HailState.com.) “I have the utmost respect for Zach Arnett and am incredibly appreciative of the effort he put forth in leading our football program. However, the progress and on-field results have not been of the standard required for Mississippi State to achieve the level of success we need and expect.
Many fans seemed surprised MSU gave up on Arnett so soon.
Is this the first time in college football history that two head coaches having been fired, mid-season, in the days following their game against one another?
Texas A&M beat Mississippi State 51-10 on Saturday. Jimbo Fisher out on Sunday. Zach Arnett out on Monday.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) November 13, 2023
I disagree. He took a roster built for an efficient spread passing attack and 3 qualified coaches on staff who could have been OC and he let them all go and changed to an offense that required positions they had no talent at.
— SchemeGuide – #K1ngKylerSzn (@RLByrum) November 13, 2023
Exactly. Just a stop gap to stabilize the program
— Austin (@Austin_jack2015) November 13, 2023
What is Mississippi State doing? Zach Arnett is less than one year into a season in which he abruptly followed a legend.
If anybody deserves time to build a program, it’s Zach Arnett.https://t.co/nP1VXS16m3
— Barrett Sallee 🇺🇸 (@BarrettSallee) November 13, 2023
Why hire him in the first place to get 10 games plus the Bowl last year. I get tough situation so they did what they felt they had to I guess, still seems odd.
— Dan Florie (@dan_florie) November 13, 2023
No one was going to walk in and replace Mike Leach..
No one
— cameron glenn (@cameronhglenn) November 13, 2023
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.