STARKVILLE — Mississippi State linebackers coach Matt Brock will be elevated to defensive coordinator, the school announced on Wednesday.
Brock, a member of the Bulldogs’ coaching staff since 2020, will take over the vacancy of former DC and now current MSU head coach Zach Arnett.
He got some valuable experience in Mississippi State’s 19-10 win over Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Jan. 2, calling plays for the defense.
The Bulldogs held the Fighting Illini to 22 rushing yards, recording 10 tackles for loss and seven sacks in the win, a bowl game record for the program.
“I’m grateful to be in this position and appreciative to Coach Arnett for this opportunity to lead our defense,” Brock said in a news release Wednesday. “I’m thankful for our players and can’t wait to get back to work with them in this new role and build off their success the last three years.”
Brock’s coaching career began at his alma mater, Baker University, in 2011, before becoming the defensive quality control and linebackers coach at Texas Tech, the special teams coordinator/inside linebackers coach at Bowling Green and the special teams coordinator/outside linebackers coach at Washington State.
He was nominated for the 2017 Broyles Award, given to the top assistant coach in college football, with Bowling Green after the Falcons’ special teams unit finished the season ranked in the top 20 in the nation in several categories.
While there, he coached punter Joseph Davidson, a two-time Ray Guy Award semifinalist, and at Washington State, he coached kicker Blake Mazza, a 2019 Lou Groza Award finalist.
“Matt Brock is a rising star in the coaching profession who has made a tremendous impact on our defense the last three seasons,” Arnett said. “I’m very confident in his ability to lead the unit, and I look forward to watching it continue to progress under his direction.”
Among the linebackers Brock has coached at Mississippi State include Jett Johnson and Nathaniel Watson, this season’s leading tacklers in the SEC, and Tyrus Wheat, who has recorded 18.5 sacks in his three seasons at MSU.
Peterson returns to Starkville
Brock wasn’t the only hiring announced on Wednesday as the Bulldogs also re-hired Brad Peterson, the program’s director of high school relations from 2016-2020, as the new associate athletic director for football administration.
A 1996 alum of Mississippi State, he will serve as a liaison to MSU’s athletic department, overseeing day-to-day operations for football.
“I am extremely grateful to Coach Arnett for this opportunity,” Peterson said in a news release. “Mississippi State means so much to me and my family. It’s a tremendous honor to be back home and help make an impact on this program by building on its strong foundation and continuing its momentum into the future.”
Peterson is a Louisville native and longtime Mississippi high school football coach, having won two state championships and 148 total games.
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