Former Georgia Football Assistant Takes Job at Mississippi State

Former Georgia assistant Will Friend is back in the SEC, as the veteran line coach has accepted the offensive line coach position at Mississippi State. Friend’s hiring comes as new Mississippi State head coach Zach Arnett fills out his staff after the passing of former head coach Mike Leach.

Friend was Georgia’s offensive line coach under Mark Richt from 2011-2014. During his time in Athens, Friend recruited future NFL-level players like John Theus and Isaiah Wynn.

Following his stint at Georgia, Friend followed Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo to Colorado State, where he took over as Bobo’s offensive coordinator from 2015-2017.

Since then, he’s spent time as the offensive line coach at both Tennessee and Auburn.

Welcome to the Mississippi State Family, @CoachWillFriend!

Friend, from Philadelphia, Miss., is a veteran coach and heralded recruiter with previous coaching stops at three different SEC programs.

📝: https://t.co/SlEXP6Trtd pic.twitter.com/xHfz7wz7Fk
— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) January 6, 2023

"I want to thank Coach Arnett for this incredible opportunity. The state of Mississippi is home for me, and the talent it produces is second to none. I can't wait to develop relationships with our players and get right to work." said Friend.

According to Mississippi State, Will Friend has coached nine lineman who would go on to be selected in the NFL Draft.

Friend may not be the last former Georgia coach to head to Mississippi State, as multiple reports have surfaced that Arnett is targeting Georgia analyst Mike Bobo as their next offensive coordinator.

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