Changes to the coaching staff are already underway in Starkville. Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby made the decision to move on from defensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler, replacing him with a familiar face in former Bulldog DC and HC Zach Arnett. More changes are anticipated, but the move that was made on Monday was not one that anyone was expecting to see happen.
According to the Gene's Page team at 247 Sports, Mississippi State has dismissed Wide Receivers Coach Chad Bumphis. Bumphis, who had coached the Bulldog wideouts for the past three seasons, is a Mississippi State alum, suiting up for the Maroon and White from 2009-2012.
A Tupelo-native, Chad Bumphis signed with Mississippi State as a 4-star recruit ahead of former HC Dan Mullen's first season. He would make an instant impact and go on to put together an outstanding career in Starkville. As a senior, he had one of the best seasons by a WR in program history with 58 catches for 922 yards and 12 TDs, earning 2nd Team All-SEC honors. He would finish his career as the program's record holder for career receiving yards and touchdowns, the latter of which he still owns today.
After a short professional career, Bumphis would get into coaching. In 2023, he returned to his alma mater as Wide Receivers Coach under then HC Zach Arnett. He was retained by Jeff Lebby in 2024, but after two seasons under Lebby and three seasons overall in Starkville, his time back with the program has come to an end.
Why did Jeff Lebby fire Chad Bumphis?
To say this move came as a surprise would be a massive understatement. Though staffing changes were and still are expected, the conversation had primarily been on the defensive side of the ball. And even amongst the offensive coaches, Chad Bumphis seemed like one of the least likely to be let go. The WR room has been the strength of the program over the past two seasons with the likes of Kevin Coleman, Anthony Evans, and Brenen Thompson putting together fantastic seasons.
There is a case to be made, however, that recruiting and development hasn't quite been up to standard at the WR position. The Bulldogs haven't signed a blue chip WR in either of the last two recruiting cycles. Also, they have yet to have a home-grown wideout, or even one who has spent multiple years with the program, prove to be a regular contributor on the field.
The success has come with transfers, specifically transfers who are more closely tied to Jeff Lebby than Chad Bumphis. That's not to say Bumphis doesn't deserve any credit for those players, but there's no denying that Lebby's system played a big role in attracting that talent and getting the most out of them on the field.
Still, it's a controversial move by Jeff Lebby. WR was not perceived as a real concern for this team going forward. And there's an added value of having someone like Chad Bumphis on staff when it comes to selling players on the Mississippi State program and getting them to understand what it means to be a Bulldog. It's critical to the culture in the locker room. Moving on from him is not at all a popular decision amongst the fanbase.
Clearly though, Jeff Lebby believes there was something missing from his WR room and feels a change needed to happen. If the new hire improves the position, it'll be easier for State fans to forgive firing a Bulldog legend. But if Lebby misses here, his approval rating is going to take a significant hit.