Former Mississippi State coach Zach Arnett lands new job at Florida State

The Bulldogs' coach that followed Mike Leach has a new job in Tallahassee after a quick and awkward exit from Dan Mullen's staff at UNLV.

Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Zach Arnett talks to an ESPN reporter after a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mississippi State won 7-3. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Former Mississippi State coach Zach Arnett has had an interesting year and a half, but it appears he may have found a landing spot for the upcoming season.

Arnett will join Florida State’s staff as an analyst on the defensive side of the ball for defensive coordinator Tony White. He spent last season as an analyst for Ole Miss after going 4-6 with the Bulldogs in 2023.

Last December, Arnett was hired by another former Mississippi State coach, Dan Mullen at UNLV. Arnett was hired to be the team’s defensive coordinator, but abruptly left the program “for personal reasons” in the middle of spring football practices in April. The exact reasons for Arnett leaving UNLV are not known (although there are rumors online about a Wendy’s).

Arnett and Mullen’s time in Starkville never overlapped, but Mullen was still the Florida coach when the late Mike Leach hired Arnett in 2020 as the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator.

Arnett took over the Mississippi State football program after the sudden passing of Leach in December 2022, but the Bulldogs struggled in 2023. They won just four games and Arnett was fired after the season. (Side note: Jeff Lebby won just two games in his first season.)

But Arnett took over a situation that was almost certainly doomed to fail. It’s not anyone’s fault. A sudden, tragic event like that only leads to great things in movies.

Mississippi State Athletic Director Zac Selmon had a similar sentiment in his initial announcement of Arnett’s firing:

“Zach took on an unprecedented and challenging situation last December. He provided the football program much needed leadership and stability during a tragic time. There is no question that he has made a positive impact on the lives of our student-athletes during his time here. We are grateful for his contributions to Mississippi State and wish him the very best both personally and professionally.”