Mississippi State makes first major coaching change at defensive coordinator

The Bulldogs have reportedly fired Coleman Hutzler from his post and are bringing back a familiar name to Mississippi State fans.

Mississippi State Bulldogs defensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The coaching staff change every Mississippi State fan had wanted has happened.

On3’s Robbie Faulk is reporting that Mississippi State defensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler “has been relieved of his duties. An additional report by On3’s Pete Nakos stats that a familiar name will be replacing Hutzler.

Former defensive coordinator and head coach Zach Arnett is reportedly set to take over the Bulldogs’ defense.

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Mississippi State has yet to announce the news, but enough reports from trustworthy places are out to believe this change is happening.

Why a change was needed

Two numbers give the biggest reason why a change was needed: 127 and 95.

That’s where Mississippi State’s defense finished amongst all FBS teams the last two seasons.

The 2024 season was rough for all areas of the Bulldogs, but 2025 saw vast improvements. However, some things were never fully fixed defensively.

Mississippi State struggled stopping opposing rushing attacks, allowing opponents an average of 189.5 rushing yards per game. That’s an improvement on the 2024 season that had an average of 216.9.

The Bulldogs also struggled at pass rushing, with 10 sacks in 2024 and 20 in 2025, that ranked 99th in the country. No defensive player had more than 2.5 sacks in 2025.

In 24 games with Hutzler as defensive coordinator, opponents gained 400 yards or more 15 times and 500 yards or more six times. In the final game against Ole Miss, the Bulldogs gave up 545 yards and 7.3 yards per play.

Mississippi State did add more talent and depth for the 2025 with the addition of players like Jahron manning, Jalen Smith, Jaray Bledsoe and Jamil Burroughs, but the stats didn’t improve.

Why Arnett was hired

Full disclosure, I started covering Mississippi State after Arnett’s short tenure as head coach (and after Lebby was hired, too).

So, I was a little surprised to see that Arnett is returning to Starkville to be the next defensive coordinator. But it makes sense when you see where Arnett’s defenses ranked: 35th, 29th, and 40th overall.

Mississippi State is likely preparing for a bowl game if the Bulldogs’ defense was ranked in the top 40 this season.

Arnett most recently served as an analyst for Florida State in 2025 and an analyst at Ole Miss in 2024. Now, he’s coming back to Starkville to try and fix a broken defense.