Following Saturday night’s 51-10 loss at Texas A&M, Mississippi State has removed head coach Zach Arnett from that position, athletic director Zac Selmon announced Monday morning.
Greg Knox, a senior offensive analyst brought in this January, will serve as interim head coach for the remainder of the 2023 season. Knox, in his second stint with the Bulldogs, was also the program’s interim head coach for the 2017 TaxSlayer Bowl, which MSU won 31-27 over Louisville.
Arnett was named head coach last December, three days after the death of Mike Leach, leading the Bulldogs to a win over Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl. Previously MSU’s defensive coordinator, Arnett, 37, had spent nine seasons on the staff at San Diego State before arriving in Starkville.
“As part of my thorough and continued evaluation, I have determined that a change in leadership is necessary to move our football program forward and position it for the highest level of success,” Selmon said in a statement. “Zach took on an unprecedented and challenging situation last December. He provided the football program much needed leadership and stability during a tragic time.”
The Bulldogs (4-6, 1-6 Southeastern Conference) has scored a combined 33 points in its last four games and has not recorded an offensive touchdown since Oct. 28 at Auburn. MSU is in danger of missing a bowl game for the first time since 2009, with home games against Southern Miss and rival Ole Miss remaining on the schedule.
Arnett had $9 million remaining on his contract over the next three years, and the school owes him half that, so $4.5 million, in his buyout. If Arnett takes on a new coaching job — he will likely be a candidate for top defensive coordinator openings — that buyout will be reduced due to a mitigation clause.
A national search for the Bulldogs’ next head coach is already underway, per an athletic department release. Selmon was hired in January, almost exactly a month after Leach’s passing and Arnett’s promotion.
“When Zac Selmon was hired after Coach Leach’s passing, one of the attributes he reflected was the ability to effectively identify and recruit talent,” Keenum said in the release. “I have every confidence that Zac will move quickly to identify a new leader for our football program who will energize our team, our students and our loyal and enthusiastic fan base.”
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