{"id":158011,"date":"2022-12-14T23:38:14","date_gmt":"2022-12-14T23:38:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/mississippi-state-promoting-zach-arnett-as-coach-bulldogs-elevating-defensive-coordinator-to-top-role\/"},"modified":"2022-12-14T23:38:14","modified_gmt":"2022-12-14T23:38:14","slug":"mississippi-state-promoting-zach-arnett-as-coach-bulldogs-elevating-defensive-coordinator-to-top-role","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/mississippi-state-promoting-zach-arnett-as-coach-bulldogs-elevating-defensive-coordinator-to-top-role\/","title":{"rendered":"Mississippi State promoting Zach Arnett as coach: Bulldogs elevating defensive coordinator to top role"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Zach Arnett will be promoted to full-time head football coach at Mississippi State after serving as the program’s defensive coordinator for the past three seasons under Mike Leach, sources confirmed to CBS Sports’ Barrett Sallee. Arnett is among the nation’s most highly respected defensive minds and came to Starkville, Mississippi, after nine years on staff at San Diego State.<\/p>\n

Arnett, 36, has never served a head coach before and will be under a baptism by fire in the SEC. But with the Bulldogs in need of stability following the sudden death of Leach<\/span>The Arnett was the most obvious choice on staff. <\/p>\n

He had already been named the program’s interim head coach for the ReliaQuest Bowl against Illinois, and has consistently orchestrated quality defensive units for the Bulldogs. With the program also in search of its next athletic director following the departure of John Cohen for Auburn, Mississippi State was in no position to conduct a coaching search, especially with early National Signing Day approaching next week.<\/p>\n

Leach died Monday night at age 61 of complications from a heart condition. He led Mississippi State to a 19-17 mark over the past three seasons. Arnett played a key role on Leach’s staffs both in game-planning and recruting.<\/p>\n

Steady presence<\/h2>\n

Arnett can be a steadying presence at a tragic time for the Mississippi State family. The loss of an active Power Five coach is unprecedented in the modern era of the game, and mourning Leach’s loss will be a process for everyone. Having a familiar face in Arnett around should help stabilize the team during a tumultuous time.<\/p>\n

With the transfer portal open and members of the Bulldogs’ recruiting class likely seeking answers amid Leach’s unexpected death, promoting from within made sense. Arnett is no charity case, though. While he may have still been a few years away from landing a big-time head coaching opportunity under normal circumstances, he’s established himself as one of the brightest young defensive minds in the sport.<\/p>\n

youth movement<\/h2>\n

Arnett is just the latest young defensive coordinator to get a shot at a Power Five job after hires such as Dan Lanning and Marcus Freeman successful enjoyed debut seasons in 2022 at Oregon and Notre Dame, respectively. Meanwhile, Purdue just hired<\/span> Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters, 36, to replace Jeff Brohm.<\/p>\n

Lanning, also 36, led Oregon to a 9-3 mark and as high as a No. 6 in the AP Top 25 this season after serving as Georgia’s defensive coordinator for three seasons. Similarly, Freeman — you guessed it, also 36 — led Notre Dame to an 8-4 regular season that included a stretch of eight wins in nine games after a rough start to the season for the Fighting Irish.<\/p>\n

Both were considered as somewhat risky choices considering their youth and lack of head coaching experience. But in the wake of Mario Cristobal’s exit from Oregon for Miami and Brian Kelly’s departure from Notre Dame to LSU, Lanning and Freeman have shown plenty of promise.<\/p>\n

Notre Dame’s 2023 recruiting class is ranked No. 3 nationally under Freeman ahead of next Wednesday’s early National Signing Day while Oregon’s is ranked No. 12 — first in the Pac-12 — under Lanning.<\/p>\n

Another former Power Five defensive coordinator, Mike Elko of Duke, landed the head coaching job at Duke last offseason after working at Texas A&M for four seasons and guided the Blue Devils to an 8-4 record while winning ACC Coach of the Year. Arnett will try and follow in that mold of those three from last season and become the latest young defensive coordinator to thrive in a head coaching opportunity.<\/p>\n

Defensive direction<\/h2>\n

This will mark the first time since Jackie Sherrill’s tenure from 1991-2003 that the Bulldogs will be led by a coach with a defensive pedigree. Sylvester Croom, Dan Mullen, Joe Moorhead and Leach were each coaches with offensive backgrounds.<\/p>\n

After playing linebacker at New Mexico from 2005-08, Arnett cut his teeth as a coach at San Diego State under Rocky Long. With Arnett as one of the nation’s youngest defensive coordinators in 2018, the Aztecs ranked No. 21 nationally in total defense. The following season, the Aztecs were historically dominant under Arnett’s leadership, ranking No. 5 in total defense and No. 2 in scoring defense by allowing just 12.7 points per game.<\/p>\n

Arnett’s defensive units at Mississippi State haven’t been quite so statistically impressive, but that’s partially because of the offensive system the Bulldogs ran under Leach. The Air Raid isn’t always the most attractive scheme for defensive coordinators to work under because of the pressure that quick three-and-outs can put on the defense. But Arnett’s Bulldogs have been consistently steady. This year’s 8-4 squad ranks No. 39 nationally in total defense and tied for No. 21 turnovers forced.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n