STARKVILLE — The spotlight is shining more brightly on Coleman Hutzler than it ever has before, now that Hutzler is a lead defensive coordinator for the first time in his career.
But with his background in special teams, Mississippi State’s new defensive coordinator is used to overseeing a larger group of players than even an entire defense.
The co-defensive coordinator for Texas in 2020, Hutzler has coordinated special teams units at Florida, New Mexico, Boston College, South Carolina, Ole Miss and Alabama. Although special teams are only on the field for a small handful of plays, just about anyone apart from the quarterbacks can play on special teams, so Hutzler had to form relationships with nearly the entire roster at many of his previous stops.
“My background being a special teams coordinator really helps with that transition,” Hutzler said. “There is an adjustment, and it’s exciting. It’s a lifelong dream, something I’ve been wanting to do and work toward for my whole career. Can’t wait to get going.”
Hutzler is nothing if not well-traveled. He grew up in Las Vegas and starred at Division III Middlebury College in Vermont, then began his coaching career as a defensive assistant at San Diego under Jim Harbaugh. After following Harbaugh to Stanford and spending three years as a defensive assistant there, Hutzler received his first opportunity in the Southeastern Conference, coaching linebackers and coordinating special teams at Florida.
It was in Gainesville where Hutzler first crossed paths with Matt Barnes, who was working as a defensive and special teams graduate assistant from 2012-14. Barnes was hired to join the Bulldogs’ staff the same day as Hutzler, as MSU’s co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach.
“We’ve had a great friendship for a long time,” Barnes said. “We’re like-minded people. He’s extremely intelligent, super detail-oriented, but also relates really well to the players and staff. It’s been awesome. The most fun I’ve ever had in coaching is this experience so far.”
Hutzler and the Bulldogs have their work cut out for them this fall after losing talented players on all three levels of the defense to the NFL. While MSU added a number of transfers on offense who are likely to start immediately, the lone sure bet on defense is linebacker Stone Blanton, who grew up in Jackson and was once committed to MSU for baseball before choosing South Carolina.
Sulaiman Kpaka (Purdue) and Kedrick Bingley-Jones (North Carolina) are potential starters on the defensive line, but other than that, the Bulldogs will need to rely on players they recruited out of high school or junior college — most of whom have played few meaningful snaps at the top levels of college football.
“The three main things we talk about are effort, technique and execution,” Hutzler said. “Those have been the core values since I got here. Obviously there are other things that we build on — getting the ball out, creating turnovers — but if we can play with great effort, if we can have great technique and just go execute, we have a great chance to play good defense.”
When Hutzler worked with Chris Ash to coordinate Texas’ defense in 2020, the Longhorns ran a base 4-3, but a 3-4 or 3-3-5 seems more likely in Starkville given the Bulldogs’ personnel. MSU used a 3-3-5 base defense the last four years with Zach Arnett as the defensive coordinator and then head coach.
Defensive line coach David Turner is one of just two holdovers from last season’s staff, and cornerbacks coach Corey Bell rounds out the defensive assistants. Hutzler will coach the linebackers, just as he did nearly everywhere else he has worked.
“Aggressive, attack, enthusiasm, a lot of energy, which I love,” Bell said. “Great to be around him each and every day. You know what to expect. He’s going to hold everyone accountable. So with all of that, he’s a great guy to be around.”
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