Mississippi State fires head coach Zach Arnett

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - Mississippi State head coach Zach Arnett was fired Monday morning, Athletic Director Zac Selmon announced Monday.

Arnett was in the midst of his first full season in Starkville. He was promoted from defensive coordinator last year after the death of former coach Mike Leach.

“Zach took on an unprecedented and challenging situation last December. He provided the football program much needed leadership and stability during a tragic time,” Selmon said in a statement on HailState.com. “We asked him in those difficult hours to lead our team, protect our Top 25 recruiting class, and take us to a ReliaQuest Bowl victory over Illinois. Zach accomplished those things, and our fans should respect and appreciate him for that tremendous service to MSU.”

The Bulldogs have struggled this season, currently sitting at 4-6 overall with just one SEC win over Arkansas. Most recently, Mississippi State lost to Texas A&M, 51-10, Saturday.

Arnett becomes the second SEC coach in 48 hours to be fired after the Aggies announced they are parting ways with Jimbo Fisher Sunday morning.

Senior offensive analyst Gren Knox will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the 2023 season. Knox has 35 years coaching experience, including 28 year in the SEC.

The Bulldogs have just two games left this season, with Southern Miss coming up Saturday and the annual Egg Bowl against Ole Miss on Thanksgiving day.

Get news alerts in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our email newsletter here.