Skip to main content
Join
Team Avatar
Mississippi State

Zac Selmon discusses Mississippi State football's transition to Zach Arnett

On3-Social-Profile_GRAYby:On3 Staff Report•01/18/23
Zach Arnett, Mississippi State Bulldogs football coach
Mississippi State football coach Zach Arnett applauds during a game on Jan. 2, 2023. (Icon Sportswire / Getty Images)

Mississippi State is a program in transition following the tragic death of football coach Mike Leach and the departure of athletics director John Cohen. But the Bulldogs are trudging forward, hoping for a smooth transition to Zach Arnett as the program’s new football coach.

He’ll be working under new athletics director Zac Selmon, who arrives by way of Oklahoma.

“Really impressed by, one, the leadership that Dr. (Mark) Keenum and Bracky (Brett) and others showed during that transition,” Selmon said at an introductory press conference on Monday. “Have known coach Leach for a long time and just heart goes out to the tragedy that happened and his entire family.”

Arnett is a 36-year-old coach with a defensive background, so he’s quite different from former coach Mike Leach as far as expertise goes.

He just wrapped up his third year with the program, having spent his first season as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach and the last two as defensive coordinator and safeties coach. Having him around to smooth the transition appealed to Selmon.

“When you go through that, I think the stabilization of what coach Arnett has done has been fantastic,” Selmon said. “And I really look forward to getting to work with him.”

Zac Selmon eager to facilitate transition to Zach Arnett

Though he was only recently hired, Selmon has already established some groundwork in his relationship with Arnett.

The two plan to get together as soon as there’s a brief respite from recruiting duties.

“We texted this morning,” Selmon said Monday. “So once he gets off the road and I get back we’ll spend a lot of time together and figure out how we can not only stabilize but how we can thrive. We came here and we’re going to have bold expectations, and really optimistic we’ll put a great plan together how we can both get there together.”

Mississippi State officially tabbed Selmon as its new athletics director on Jan. 13. Former athletics director John Cohen departed for the same job at Auburn on Oct. 31.