STARKVILLE — Mike Leach is locking up two integral parts to his program.
A source confirmed to The Dispatch on Tuesday afternoon that defensive coordinator Zach Arnett and head strength and conditioning coach Tyson Brown received extensions from Mississippi State.
Steve Robertson of 247 Sports first reported the news.
“I’ve absolutely loved it here,” Arnett said last week when queried on his name arising in other coaching searches. “First of all I get to work with an absolutely fantastic head coach who’s a future Hall of Famer, obviously. So for a young coach to get to learn from (Leach) and the other guys on the staff who’ve had a lot more years experience and a lot more knowledge — the opportunity to learn from those guys is incredibly invaluable.”
Arnett has been a fixture of success amid an up and down first season for Leach and his staff. After pivoting from an accepted offer at Syracuse, Arnett has guided the Bulldogs to the Southeastern Conference’s fourth-best defense despite a litany of injuries, COVID-19 positive tests and contact tracing-related absences.
A former linebacker at New Mexico, he spent the past four seasons as an assistant coach at San Diego State before heading to Starkville. According to USA Today, Arnett’s salary on his previous deal was $600,000. It’s unclear what the terms of the extension are at present.
Brown arrived at MSU following a six season spell working with Leach at Washington State. Under his guidance, the Bulldogs have revamped their strength and conditioning program, including adding the well documented sand pit alongside the practice fields at the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex.
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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