Was Liberty's Jamey Chadwell in Starkville?
Heard a good rumor about Mississippi State coaching search?
One sent the internet and various message boards buzzing on Tuesday, even among fans whose teams still have a head football coach.
Mere hours after Zach Arnett was "relieved of his duties" by Mississippi State on Monday morning, one of the potential candidates for the job raised some immediate questions due to a location marker on social media. Specifically, a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) by Liberty first-year head coach Jamey Chadwell appears to have originated from Starkville, Miss.
However, the location is no longer on the post, and the whole thing has lead to widespread speculation about its legitimacy. Could the account have been hacked? Was it fake? Was he really in Starkville?
Other speculation ranges from another school like Arkansas using Starkville as a meeting spot to throw people (off which doesn't make a lot of sense as Liberty is in Virginia, plus the Razorbacks have a head coach), to Chadwell could have been there recruiting.
On Tuesday, Liberty posted a message from Chadwell to fans asking them to turn out for Saturday's game against UMass. The Flames have already locked down a spot in the Conference USA Championship against New Mexico State.
Whether or not he was in Starkville, Chadwell figures to be a solid candidate to be the Bulldogs' next head coach, as he's yet to lose this season. At 10-0, he has his team ranked in the AP Top 25.
He's previously been the head football coach at North Greenville (2009-11), Delta State (2012), Charleston Southern (2013-16), and Coastal Carolina, first as an interim head coach in 2017 and then promoted to the job from 2019-2022. From the 2020 season to today, Chadwell has won 41 games and lost six.
Director of Athletics Zac Selmon detailed what he's seeking in a new head coach during Monday's press conference, stating that "winning qualities" are a top priority. Chadwell would more than meet that standard.
"What you look for is someone who has winning traits and knows what winning looks like at the highest level, both schematically and programmatically," Selmon said. "You know when you've got winning DNA, so we don't want to pigeonhole where we're at, but you clearly also want someone who builds culture. You're competing in this league and you're competing at the tip of the spear, which excites everybody."
Analyst Greg Knox will serve as Mississippi State's interim head coach for the remainder of the 2023 season. The Bulldogs host Southern Miss on Saturday and will then close the regular season with the Egg Bowl against Ole Miss.
