On Saturday, Mississippi State named Florida State senior defensive analyst Zach Arnett as its next defensive coordinator. Arnett returns to the Bulldogs following a previous stint as defensive coordinator (2020-22) and head coach (2023). He spent the 2024 season as an analyst at Ole Miss before his short stint with the Seminoles.

Will Rogers, the former Mississippi State quarterback, did not have a positive reaction to the report of Zach Arnett hired as defensive coordinator.

Zach Arnett is back in Starkville as the defensive coordinator at Mississippi State. Arnett has plenty of history at Mississippi State. He started as the defensive coordinator in 2020 and was promoted to head coach after Mike Leach’s passing in December of 2022.

Mississippi State football head coach Jeff Lebby is bringing back a familiar face after the Coleman Hutzler exit: Zach Arnett