Mississippi State has officially announced the promotion of defensive coordinator Zach Arnett to head coach.
Arnett was named the Interim Head Coach on Sunday when Mike Leach was hospitalized for a heart condition. Leach sadly passed away Monday evening, leaving Mississippi State without a head coach.
"Our football program has dealt with a stunning blow at the untimely passing of Coach Mike Leach," said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. "It is imperative that we bring stability and continuity to our team and our coaching staff as we move forward from this tragic event. I have tremendous confidence in Zach Arnett's leadership and believe he is uniquely positioned to continue the progress Coach Leach brought to our program. He brings great drive and intensity to the task."
The contract is a four-year deal that will pay him $3 million annually, plus performance based incentives.
"I'm honored that Bracky Brett and Dr. Keenum have the faith in me to lead our program," Arnett said. "This is an extremely challenging time for both me and everyone associated with Mississippi State football. No one can ever replace Coach Leach and the impact he had on MSU and all of college football. This team is full of strong, resilient young men and we are committed to continuing to build on the foundation Coach Leach laid and continue to honor his legacy."
The 36-year-old Arnett came to Starkville as the defensive coordinator when Mike Leach was hired in 2020 and has served as the Bulldogs' defensive coordinator for the past three seasons.
Arnett's defense finished 7th in the SEC in total defense at 24.8 points per game and was 5th best in yards allowed at 350.3 yards allowed per game. The Bulldogs excelled at creating turnovers with 1.8 per game, and Emmanuel Forbes Jr. was tied for the nation's lead with six interceptions.
Arnett is a disciple of long-time head coach Rocky Long, who is best known for the 3-3-5 defensive scheme that Arnett has brought with him to Starkville.
Arnett played four seasons as a linebacker for Long at New Mexico from 2005-2008. He got his first coaching opportunity as a graduate assistant on Long's staff at San Diego State in 2011. He was promoted to linebackers coach in 2014 and then to defensive coordinator in 2018.
Mississippi State is coming off an 8-4 season and is set to play Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa on Jan. 2nd.
With early signing day quickly approaching next Wednesday, Arnett will hope to bring stability to Mississippi State's roster and signing class as they prepare for next season. Arnett already landed two recruits through the transfer portal in defensive backs Khamauri Rogers and Ray'Darious Jones during his time as the interim head coach.
The Mississippi State defense is set to return some key players next season in its two leading tacklers Nathaniel Watson and Jett Johnson as well defensive linemen Jaden Crumedy, Nathan Pickering, and Randy Charlton, and Arnett's hiring should help the Bulldogs keep their core together.
