Zach Arnett fired as Mississippi State football coach
Arnett fired after one season
Mississippi State has fired football coach Zach Arnett after just one season, the school announced Monday.
Arnett was promoted to head coach in December 2021 after Mike Leach died of a heart attack. The Bulldogs went 3-9 under Arnett in 2022, including a 1-7 record in SEC play.
Mississippi State athletic director John Cohen said in a statement that the school "made the difficult decision to part ways with Zach Arnett as our head football coach."
Cohen added that "we appreciate Zach's dedication to our program and wish him the best in his future endeavors."
Arnett's tenure at Mississippi State
Arnett was a defensive coordinator at Mississippi State for three seasons before being promoted to head coach. He was considered one of the top up-and-coming coaches in the country.
However, Arnett's tenure at Mississippi State was marked by off-field issues. The Bulldogs were placed on probation by the NCAA in 2022 for violations that occurred under Leach's watch.
Arnett was also criticized for his handling of the program's NIL deals. Several Mississippi State football players have transferred to other schools since Arnett took over.
Arnett's firing comes as no surprise. The Bulldogs were one of the worst teams in the SEC in 2022, and the off-field issues that plagued the program under Leach continued under Arnett.
Mississippi State will now begin a search for a new head coach. The Bulldogs are expected to be a popular destination for coaching candidates, given their recent success and the resources that the school provides.
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