Mississippi State fires Zach Arnett as head coach in 1st season after succeeding the late Mike Leach

Mississippi State fired Zach Arnett on Monday after less than one season as head coach, just under a year since he took over the Bulldogs after the tragic passing of Mike Leach from a heart issue.

Arnett leaves the university after a 5-6 record, including a 4-6 mark this season with the program tied for last in the Southeastern Conference West Division at 1-6.

Senior offensive analyst Greg Knox, who has worked around the SEC for 28 of his 35 years of coaching, will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the 2023 season, the university announced.

Mississippi State has games remaining against Southern Mississippi and rival Mississippi.

Arnett, 37, was in the first of a four-year contract that paid $3 million annually plus incentives. The contract length was the maximum allowed under Mississippi state law.

Arnett began this season as the SEC’s youngest head coach and the first of Hispanic descent in league history, and vowed last summer to maintain the same intensity. Mississippi State couldn’t fulfill that goal with a front-loaded schedule that included ranked LSU and Alabama, and certainly not after record-setting quarterback Will Rogers’ injury.

Athletics director Zac Selmon said in a statement that he determined a change in leadership was needed for the football program to move forward and “position it for the highest level of success.” Selmon added that he has the utmost respect for Arnett and appreciated his effort but the on-field results weren’t at the expected level.

Selmon said at an afternoon news conference that Arnett’s coaching staff will remain through the rest of the season. Players were informed of the decision Monday morning.

A search firm will be used to find the next head coach and that process is already underway, Selmon added.

“We don’t want to mix just jumping out there to do it if it’s not the right fit, not the right person for Mississippi State, so we’ll be as thorough as we need to be,” he said.