Inside Zach Arnett’s Abrupt Ascension at Mississippi State

Fox & Hound is a bar and grill nestled within the north Mississippi city of Southaven. There’s nothing spectacular about it. It’s obtained a pool desk or two, some dart boards and serves burgers, wings and buckets of chilly beer.

However now, Fox & Hound will likely be recognized for one thing else.

It’s the place Mike Leach satisfied Zach Arnett to affix his employees at Mississippi State. In a most Leach transfer, the coach employed Arnett throughout a greater than three-hour telephone name at a bar.

“He was sitting over there within the nook and obtained on the telephone with Arnett making an attempt to get him because the coordinator,” recollects Brad Peterson, then the highschool relations director for Leach. “Me and [assistant] Mason Miller shot pool and threw darts ready on him to get off the telephone!”

Almost three years later, Arnett is the highest Dawg in Starkville.

Mississippi State is anticipated to raise Arnett as its everlasting head coach in a transfer more likely to be made official Thursday, sources inform Sports activities Illustrated. Officers have spent the final 24 hours in critical dialogue about how selling Arnett would stabilize this system in a time of grief, every week earlier than signing day and amid the switch portal insanity.

The 36-year-old would be the youngest head coach within the SEC, three years youthful than Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz. Arnett is similar age, when employed, as a former Mississippi State coach: Dan Mullen.

Arnett, who simply accomplished his third season as Mississippi State’s defensive coordinator, was named interim coach when Leach was hospitalized after a cardiac-related emergency on Sunday morning. He died Monday evening in a passing that rocked the school recreation.

Mississippi State elevates some of the sought-after younger up-and-coming defensive minds within the recreation. During the last two years, a number of powerhouse packages have flirted with Arnett, leading to his whopper of a contract. Arnett was set to make $1.2 million per yr on a contract that was prolonged over the summer time by way of the 2024 season. In line with 247Sports, it was the longest contract ever given to a coordinator on the college. He is set to obtain one other sizable pay bump together with his elevation to move coach.

Arnett’s first orders of enterprise will likely be to retain gamers, signal new ones and decide a future for Mississippi State’s offense. The Bulldogs have been working Leach’s Air Raid scheme with gamers recruited and constructed for the system, together with star quarterback Will Rogers. Leach served as his personal offensive coordinator and referred to as performs. 

Leach introduced Arnett to Starkville in January of 2020, luring him away from Syracuse, the place he’d simply been employed 11 days prior. Arnett is a New Mexico native who performed linebacker at UNM for longtime coach Rocky Lengthy. He coached underneath Lengthy as a graduate assistant, place coach and eventually coordinator over Lengthy’s nine-year tenure at San Diego State. 

Arnett was a four-time educational all-conference honoree at New Mexico and recorded greater than 200 tackles his senior season. He began his profession there as a two-sport athlete earlier than dropping baseball (he was a catcher).

“He was not very huge. He was a bit undersized for being a linebacker,” Lengthy says. “He was fairly athletic. He’s solely about 5-foot-10 and was taking part in inside linebacker for us. He wasn’t tremendous quick however might change instructions. As all good linebackers can do, he’d acknowledge a play and react as he was alleged to.”

Lengthy had a task in Arnett’s hiring at Mississippi State. Leach and Lengthy have a relationship that dates again to Leach’s days at Texas Tech, the place in 2004 the Pink Raiders misplaced to Lengthy’s Lobos, 27–24. Leach turned enamored with Lengthy’s 3-3-5 protection.

“From that second on, we turned associates,” Lengthy says.

So, when searching for a coordinator, Leach referred to as Lengthy. Lengthy prompt Arnett. After which Leach, from that bar, referred to as Arnett.

Whereas Peterson and Miller shot pool and darts, Leach talked to Arnett for greater than three hours. And the telephone name didn’t finish when the coaches left the bar.

“We lastly obtained coach out of there and he was nonetheless on the telephone with him after which he was on the telephone within the elevator after which he walked into his lodge room on the telephone,” laughs Peterson.

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In three years in Starkville, Arnett has constructed sturdy relationships in a talent-rich state. In truth, when information emerged Wednesday that he’d be promoted to the full-time head coach, he was out recruiting.

“He’s actually good. The youngsters actually like him. Onerous-nosed,” says Peterson, now out of the teaching enterprise. “He’s obtained a lot widespread sense. He’s a humble man. He’s what you might be searching for. He’ll do an excellent job.

“He understands Mississippi State recruiting. You get guys in right here not from the South and the SEC and so they don’t perceive Mississippi recruiting. He does.”

Arnett is believed to be the primary SEC coach of Hispanic descent. He’s the second minority coach that Mississippi State has employed, becoming a member of Sylvester Croom (2004). Mississippi State and Vanderbilt (James Franklin, Derek Mason) are believed to be the one two SEC colleges to have employed a number of minority head soccer coaches. 

In an interview with SI earlier Wednesday, Mississippi State president Mark Keenum mentioned of Arnett: “I’ve admired him and his function as our defensive coordinator. He’s carried out an excellent job.”