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Zach Arnett has been elevated from his defensive coordinator role in Mississippi to become the SEC program's head coach. Arnett is replacing his former boss, Mike Leach, who unfortunately passed away on Monday Night.
Arnett has been in and around the game of football since the early 2000's, as he was a heralded prospect coming out of high school. He was among the best defensive players in the state, earning him a scholarship with the New Mexico Lobos. He had a solid college career in New Mexico, culminating in a first-team Academic All-American nod in 2008.
Zach Arnett never declared for the NFL Draft as he felt his future lay elsewhere. That became a reality when, in 2010, he got a job as a graduate assistant at San Diego State University. It was in New Mexico that he took his first steps in coaching. Arnett was a great listener and solid schemer, earning promotion after promotion before snagging the role as linebackers coach in 2013.
Arnett left the program in January 2020 to assume the defensive coordinator position at Syracuse University. He spent only two weeks in Syracuse before Mississippi State University matched their offer sheet and signed Zach Arnett to a long-term contract.
Arnett inherited an underperforming defense at Mississippi State University, but the side has improved since his appointment. He had had offers from bigger college programs before the 2021 college season, but he stayed put in Mississippi.
That brings us to recent times, as Zach Arnett was appointed interim head coach at Mississippi State. This came after head coach Mike Leach was hospitalized on December 11, 2022. Following the untimely passing of Leach, Zach Arnett was named full-time head coach on December 14, 2022. His appointment at thirty-six made him the youngest SEC head coach at the time of the appointment.
What happened to Zach Arnett's predecessor, Mike Leach?
On Sunday, it was announced by Mississippi State University that head coach Mike Leach had been transported to a hospital. They called it a "personal health issue." It was later reported that that personal issue was a heart attack suffered by the coach at his family home in Starkville.
Following the reports, Mississippi State University announced that their beloved head remained in critical condition with his family beside him. Unfortunately, Leach's condition did not improve and he died on Monday night. He was 61 years old.
How has Mississippi State University performed this season?
Mississippi State University have had a decent season by their standards. The Bulldogs have put together a 8-4 regular-season record, which included them beating some tough sides but losing to a few underdogs.
The Zach Arnett-led Bulldogs have one more game left in the season: the Reliaquest Bowl fixture against Illinois University. It will be interesting to see how they get on in this fixture.
