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Mississippi State fired first-year coach Zach Arnett on Monday on the heels of the Bulldogs’ 51-10 loss to Texas A&M on Saturday. Arnett, who was in his first full season since taking over for Mike Leach after the legendary offensive mastermind’s untimely death, was 4-6 this season with his lone SEC win coming against Arkansas on Oct. 21. Arnett led the Bulldogs to a 19-10 win over Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl as interim coach last season, but the wheels fell off after he was elevated to the full-time role in 2023.
The SEC landscape is changing next season with Texas and Oklahoma joining the league and divisions being eliminated. Plus, a new media rights deal will pay teams significantly more than the massive annual income they were already receiving in the current deal. As such, the vacant job in Starkville, Mississippi, will be an attractive challenge for any potential hire.
So who are the hot names to keep an eye on for the Mississippi State coaching job? Let’s break down some potential candidates.
Ex-Mississippi State, Florida coach Dan Mullen
Athletic Director Zac Selmon has to make this call, right? Mullen elevated the program from anonymous punching bag in the SEC West into a team that was not only relevant but a perennial division title contender. The Bulldogs had only been to 13 bowl games prior to Mullen’s arrival in 2009. Under his leadership, they went to seven straight bowls (2010-16) during his eight-year stint. They were ranked No. 1 in the first-ever College Football Playoff Rankings in 2014 behind star quarterback Dak Prescott. Mullen went 34-18 in four years at Florida (2018-21), which included an SEC East title in 2020. He has been working in television since Florida dismissed him with one game remaining in the 2021…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/mississippi-state-coaching-candidates-dan-mullen-lance-leipold-among-options-to-replace-zach-arnett/
Author : Barrett Sallee
Publish date : 2023-11-13 20:52:54
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