5 innovative coaches Mississippi State football fans should know
By Ethan Lee
![AUBURN, ALABAMA - OCTOBER 28: Head coach Zach Arnett of the Mississippi State Bulldogs reacts during the second quarter against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on October 28, 2023 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) AUBURN, ALABAMA - OCTOBER 28: Head coach Zach Arnett of the Mississippi State Bulldogs reacts during the second quarter against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on October 28, 2023 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/fa3958f26a1775c4138f5b71a3992b2cb5de051cf1850bca3011f1e0693ae9ab.jpg)
Will the Mississippi State football team move on from Zach Arnett? No clue. But if the Bulldogs decide to start looking, here are some coaches to know.
Another week, another frustrating showing from the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Unsurprisingly, there are a growing number of Mississippi State football fans who are displeased with the direction the Mississippi State football program is going under current head coach Zach Arnett.
If you take a scroll through X (the social media platform previously known as Twitter), you’ll find no shortage of incensed MSU football fans calling for a new head coach.
Which, you know, considering how the Bulldogs won nine games a season ago and weren’t even remotely near a rebuilding sort of situation, it’s hard to blame MSU fans who are upset with the way the Bulldogs look right now.
Because this MSU football team looks like it’s in the middle of the rebuild. And it shouldn’t be this hard for the Bulldogs to win a game.
Mississippi State football: 5 coaches MSU Bulldogs fans should know as State struggles
Should Mississippi State athletics director Zac Selmon really move on from Arnett right now? That’s a tough question. I can’t really answer that, though it’s increasingly clear that this season is one that’s being lost.
After winning nine games a season ago and bringing back an Air Raid roster, it would have been wise for MSU to continue on with what was working last season and making some minor adjustments to address shortcomings with the system as it stood.
Instead, Zach Arnett drastically took the Bulldogs in a different direction following Mike Leach’s death. He overhauled the coaching staff, specifically on the offensive side of things, and then hired offensive assistants before he even found an offensive coordinator.
And now the Bulldogs can’t seem to keep up on offense all while one of the most inept teams in the SEC West torched the Bulldogs’ defense in the first half for 24 points and over 300 yards of offense.
Will Selmon and MSU move on from Arnett? Again, that’s a good question that I don’t have an answer for. Should they? Well, Arnett’s buyout has been reported and it’s manageable. The Bulldogs would owe him $4.5 million over three years, but Arnett would be on the hook for gaining gainful employment which would result in his new job’s salary being taken out of his buyout from MSU.
In other words? The Bulldogs could move on for a very affordable rate.
So, let’s dive in. Let’s start taking a look around at some coaches whose names should come up as we start pondering things here. Here are five coaches at the G5 level Mississippi State fans should know about. Of course, this is in no particular order.