Tag: Zach Arnett

2023-2024 College Football Coaching Carousel

Texas A&M hires Duke’s Mike Elko as the coaching carousel continues to spin.

The end of the college football season is here and the coaching carousel is once again getting fired up. This season saw two early head coaching changes within the Big Ten to get an early jump on things, but more coaching changes are popping up as we close in on the end of another regular season around the nation.

We’ll keep track of all of the head coaching changes in our updated coaching carousel tracker to see what head coaches are out and who is replacing them. This will be updated daily as needed with the latest head coaching changes as jobs open up and are filled. As is so often the case in college football, one coaching vacancy being filled will lead to another opening popping up as a result.

As of Thursday, Dec. 8 there are 2 head coaching vacancies in college football, including 1 power conference job to fill. A total of 19 head coaching changes have been made this year.

Below is the updated chart for this year’s edition of the head coaching carousel in college football. After that is a bit more detail on each job opening, listed in alphabetical order.

Brian Kelly speaks on the firings of Jimbo Fisher and Zach Arnett

Both of these teams will be looking to make a splash in the coaching carousel.

Who would have thought that just a short time after Texas A&M beat Mississippi State 51-10 in College Station both head coaches would be fired?

The SEC is a tough conference to be a head coach in. You are playing in the hardest conference in college football and you are expected to produce every year. There are expectations of 10 or more wins every year.

Only Nick Saban and Kirby Smart are doing that consistently. [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] did it last year and Lane Kiffin may do it this year but it is not common. Kelly gave his thoughts on Jimbo Fisher and Zach Arnett being fired recently.

“Yeah, I mean it’s, you know, in our profession it’s unfortunately that time of year where decisions are made and they’re tough decisions,” Kelly said, per On3. “Those are good men and I know them both. They love coaching. Tough decisions are made at this time of the year for whatever the reasons are.

“Each university has to make what they consider to be the best decisions for the direction of their programs. But, you know, the human side of it is I’m a coach as well and they’re good people, they’re good fathers, good husbands and you hope that they, you know, obviously land on their feet.”

Both of these teams will be looking to make a splash in the coaching carousel.

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No, Liberty’s Jamey Chadwell wasn’t at Mississippi State on Monday

Mississippi State fans, you might want to hold off on those Jamey Chadwell rumors right now.

After Mississippi State fired head coach Zach Arnett on Monday, rampant speculation immediately mounted about who might replace him.

One very popular name in many a coaching circle will be Liberty’s Jamey Chadwell, formerly of Coastal Carolina.

Chadwell has the Flames at 9-0, and he’s expected to land a bigger job if he wants it during this year’s college coaching cycle.

Well, Mississippi State fans started churning the rumor mill when a viral tweet started circulating that seemed to hint Chadwell was in Starkville, Mississippi, on Monday night.

The image going around showed one of Chadwell’s social media posts with a Starkville location tag on the bottom of it.

Here’s the actual post below with no location tag present.

Now, this wouldn’t make much sense to be somehow related to the Bulldogs very new coaching search, as Mississippi State just shared news of Arnett’s firing on Monday morning, and the post in question from Chadwell was sent out on Monday afternoon.

That means that Chadwell would’ve had to been invited to visit with Mississippi State officials well before word of Arnett’s firing broke.

The simple logistics of Mississippi State firing Arnett on Monday morning, arranging a flight to get Chadwell from Virginia to Mississippi at a moment’s notice and have him arrive in Starkville by Monday afternoon for a meeting just don’t work out.

Also, it’s more than likely a virtual call would be set up between Mississippi State and Chadwell this soon after the Bulldogs fired Arnett. There isn’t much use in having him fly out spontaneously on a Monday for a hiring that wouldn’t get done until December at the earliest.

Bud Elliott of 247Sports cast continued doubt on this viral image being anything but a hoax likely concocted on a message board somewhere.

Also, the spacing between the featured image in Chadwell’s original post and the Twitter analytics don’t really line up in the likely doctored image with how much normal spacing there usually is between those two features.

Take a look at these two posts again and see the difference.

Chadwell may very well be a candidate for the Mississippi State job when it’s all said and done, but the simple logistics of the situation and the pervasive nature of doctored images going viral on social media make the odds of him actually being in Starkville on Monday a bit ludicrous.

Plus, Twitter — also known as X — has done away with retweets, calling them reposts instead, giving more credit to the image being doctored.

We’ll see if Chadwell eventually makes a trip to Mississippi this year, which would most likely happen after both the Mississippi State and Liberty football seasons end.

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USC defensive coordinator search: November 13 big board with new analysis, updates

After firings at Texas A&M, Boise State, Penn State, and Mississippi State, there’s a lot for USC to keep track of.

USC’s last regular-season game of 2023 is this Saturday against UCLA. As soon as that game ends in the late afternoon versus the Bruins, Lincoln Riley’s full attention will shift to a very important task, arguably the most central one in his USC career: Replacing Alex Grinch with a new defensive coordinator.

This week, Riley has to figure out how to beat UCLA and salvage something from this failed season. When game week ends, USC won’t be worried about the Las Vegas or Sun Bowls. Riley won’t have a Heisman Trophy ceremony to worry about, either. The transfer portal window opens on December 4. USC, in order to attract the best possible defensive players in the portal, needs a home-run hire at defensive coordinator.

With Texas A&M firing Jimbo Fisher, Boise State firing coach Andy Avalos, Mississippi State firing coach Zach Arnett, the head coaching part of the coaching carousel is already spinning wildly. Penn State also fired offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich, as Nittany Lions Wire noted. Jobs are opening up, which means USC has a lot more to consider in the carousel as it searches for its next defensive coordinator.

We will walk you through the various newsworthy developments from the past weekend and update you on the possibilities which need to be studied by Jen Cohen and Lincoln Riley:

Mississippi State fires first-year coach Zach Arnett

The Bulldogs are 4-6 with a single win in conference play through 10 games this season.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs will be back on the coaching carousel this offseason.

The program fired first-year head coach Zach Arnett on Monday. The Bulldogs were 4-6 in his first full season on the job, winning just one of seven games in conference play.

“I have the utmost respect for Zach Arnett and am incredibly appreciative of the effort he put forth in leading our football program,” school athletic director Zac Selmon said in a release. “However, the progress and on-field results have not been of the standard required for Mississippi State to achieve the level of success we need and expect.

Mississippi State seemed to be finding direction with back-to-back wins a month ago, including their first SEC win in a 7-3 triumph over Arkansas, to move to 4-3 on the season. They’ve since lost three straight games by multiple scores, however, culminating in Saturday’s 51-10 loss to Texas A&M.

Arnett took over the job after the tragic death of Bulldogs coach Mike Leach, who passed away suddenly last December after he suffered a heart attack.

Senior offensive analyst Greg Knox will serve as the Bulldogs’ interim coach for the final two games of the season.

Mississippi State fires coach Zach Arnett, who is a USC defensive coordinator candidate

Zach Arnett now becomes a major name to watch in USC’s defensive coordinator search.

The coaching carousel is spinning a lot. Schools are not waiting for the end of the regular season. They want to make sure recruits and transfer portal prospects know they are serious about making the necessary changes to improve their product and their coaching for 2024. The transfer portal window opens on December 4. Schools need to get the word out: We’re changing! We’re going to be a lot better and will bring in great new coaches!

As part of this emerging reality in college football, in which schools don’t wait to fire coaches, we have another firing to point out to you.

Mississippi State fired head coach Zach Arnett on Monday morning. Arnett replaced Mike Leach after Leach died late last year. Arnett was simply not suited to be a head coach. He was out of his depth at MSU this season. He did, however, do a great job of coaching the Bulldogs’ defense under Leach in 2022. His availability means Arnett is now a potential candidate for USC in its defensive coordinator search.

Lincoln Riley could do better than Arnett, but he could also do a lot worse. That point aside, Riley’s ties to Mike Leach might make Arnett his first choice. We don’t know that, but it wouldn’t be hugely surprising.

Keep Arnett on your list of USC defensive coordinator candidates. We will keep you posted on this search.

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Aggies Wire Staff Predictions ahead of Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State

Our Staff at Aggies Wire have predicted just how things may shake out during Texas A&M’s home matchup vs. Mississippi State.

Tough times for Texas A&M (5-4, 3-3 SEC), as earning bowl eligibility is pretty much the last true accomplishment the Aggies can muster in 2023, outside of beating LSU in Baton Rouge for the first time since 1994 at the end of the month, as far fetched as that may sound.

This Saturday, head coach Jimbo Fisher’s resilient team returns to Kyle Field to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs (4-5, 1-5 SEC) on Saturday night, as the Aggies have lost five straight matchups to both Mississippi programs, including both games last year.

This will be the Aggies’ first primetime kick-off of the season, and at this point, it may not mean that much to those watching from home, but for Aggie fans attending the game, expect a raucous crowd with plenty of implications still on the line. While the Bulldogs have dealt with plenty of adversity, quarterback Will Rogers is still listed as day-to-day but is 2-1 against A&M, including three touchdowns in their 2022 meeting.

This week, we have provided several storylines and players to watch ahead of the game to help provide the full scoop on what to expect on Saturday night.

Here are our official prediction staff predictions for Texas A&M vs. Mississippi State.

Cameron Ohnysty, Managing Editor: 

“Last Saturday’s 38-35 road loss to Ole Miss could have potentially sealed Jimbo Fisher’s fate. Still, due to the fight shown on both sides of the ball, especially quarterback Max Johnson’s second-half surge, the defeat was nothing more than a heartwrenching ending to an already highly disappointing campaign. 

Licking their wounds, the goal of earning bowl eligibility is still on the table this weekend. Mississippi State’s usual high-octane passing attack has virtually disappeared under new offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay, but don’t count out quarterback Will Rogers (day-to-day), who has owned the Aggies for the last two seasons. Texas A&M’s secondary could be in for another poor showing if the Aggies’ defensive front fails to provide consistent pressure in the pocket.

Still, overall, I trust A&M’s offense to continue where they left off last week (If Max Johnson starts) and take full advantage of State’s average pass defense, especially if WR Evan Stewart returns to the lineup. The Aggies are 18.5-point favorites for a reason, folks.”

Final Score: Texas A&M 28, Mississippi State 10

Jarrett Johnson, Staff Writer: 

“After last week’s performance by the Aggie offense, I’m comfortable saying that they will cross the 30-point mark again, that’s if Max Johnson is indeed healthy. He took a beating last week that led to a few days of rumors about Johnson’s availability for Saturday’s game. So, unless we are told something different, I’m assuming Johnson will start in the offense and pick up where they left off.

The defense is still the strength of this team. Even if last week on paper didn’t look pretty, they still had a pestering pass rush and played the run ok overall. However, the secondary once again struggled, allowing another 200-yard receiver. Luckily for Texas A&M, the Mississippi State Bulldogs are as dynamic as the Rebels, and I expect the defense to have multiple sacks and a forced fumble.”

Final Score: Texas A&M 34, Mississippi State 17

Texas A&M will return to Kyle Field to take on Mississippi State on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 6:30 pm. CT. The game will air on ESPN2.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

Tale of the Tape: Auburn vs Mississippi State

The Auburn Tigers have lost four straight games in the SEC and are in danger of missing out on a bowl. How do they stack up against MSU?

The 3-4 Auburn Tigers are finally favored to win a football game this week when they host the 4-3 Mississippi State Bulldogs at Jordan-Hare Stadium this Saturday.

The Tigers are currently favored by nearly a touchdown to win this game according to BetMGM and ESPN FPI agrees with the oddsmakers, as the model gives [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s team a 62.7% chance to snap their four-game losing-skid come Saturday.

Will the tale of the tape agree that Auburn will win their first game in over a month, or does a further look into the matchup show us this game will be closer than expected?

As always, we’ll start by looking at the quarterbacks.

Mississippi State faces uncertainty at the quarterback position heading into this one. Starter Will Rogers is dealing with a shoulder injury that forced him to miss last week’s game against Arkansas. 

Head coach [autotag]Zach Arnett[/autotag] was ambiguous talking about his quarterback’s status, saying “he is progressing well” but refusing to label Rogers in or out for Saturday.

If Rogers is unable to go, the offense will be left in the hands of senior [autotag]Mike Wright[/autotag].

In limited work this year, Wright has thrown for 146 yards and 2 touchdowns. He has also added 106 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns.

As for the Auburn signal-callers, they are still struggling.

Through 7 games, starter [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] has thrown for 845 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions.

The Tigers top option is averaging just over 120 passing yards per game to go along with 0.7 touchdowns and interceptions per game.

That is not good.

Once again, Auburn loses the quarterback battle. It is much closer than it has been in previous SEC games however, and it’s almost even if [autotag]Will Rogers[/autotag] is forced to sit on the bench.

The battle of the skill positions is even closer.

Neither team boasts a top-notch playmaker that give a defensive coordinator a worse headache than a night out at Quixote’s, nor do they do anything on offense particularly well.

Mississippi State’s best player on the scoring side of the ball is probably running back [autotag]Jo’Quavious Marks[/autotag].

The senior back has been a workhorse for the Bulldogs offense. The senior from Atlanta is averaging 14 carries for 71 yards a game and has scored five total touchdowns.

Auburn’s best playmaker is also their number one running back, junior Jarquez Hunter.

After a slow start to the season for Hunter, he has come alive of late, and now leads all Auburn rushers with 309 yards and 5 rushing touchdowns. He has also added 61 receiving yards.

Neither receiving core is worth mentioning ahead of the other, although Mississippi State receiver [autotag]Lideatrick Griffin[/autotag] has the most yards out of any pass catcher in this game with 494.

The skill position battle is a wash.

Auburn does finally get an edge in the defensive department, although it is closer than you might think.

[autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag], [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag], and the Auburn Tigers defense have been great all year long.

Unfortunately for them, Mississippi State has been pretty much just as good, at least according to the numbers.

Auburn’s defense has given up 25.7 points and 397.3 yards per game this season.

Mississippi State has given up 28.8 and 393.8, respectively.

As good as Auburn linebacker [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag] has been, linebacker Nathaniel Watson has been even better.

Overall, these two teams are extremely similar and a 6.5-point spread only makes sense if Will Rogers can’t go. If he does, Auburn may be in some trouble come Saturday.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch

Behind Enemy Lines with Mississippi State beat writer Stefan Krajisnik

Razorbacks Wire talked to Mississippi State beat writer Stefan Krajisnik and got his thoughts on the Bulldogs and what to expect Saturday.

Mississippi State is one of the few SEC opponents that Arkansas has a winning record over since they joined the conference 30-plus years ago.

The Razorbacks are 18-14-1 against their counterparts to the east, but the Bulldogs have owned the series as of late, winning four of the last six and eight of the last 11.

Arkansas won the last meeting in Fayetteville two years ago, 31-28.

Razorbacks Wire spoke with Mississippi State beat writer Stefan Krajisnik earlier this week and he broke down the program for us and what to expect out of Saturday morning’s contest.

Kickoff is at 11 a.m. on ESPN.

Mississippi State has had growing pains under Arnett

The Mississippi State and Arkansas loser will most likely finish in last place in the SEC West. Both teams come into the game needing a win in the worst way.

People around the Mississippi State program after Mike Leach’s tragic passing last December knew the 2023 football season would be a transition year.

They just didn’t know how big of a transition it would end up being.

The Bulldogs (3-3, 0-3) come into Saturday’s game in Fayetteville needing a shot in the arm, while Arkansas is in the same boat.

Mississippi State’s wins are over Southeastern Louisiana, Arizona in overtime and Western Michigan. They have lost to LSU, South Carolina and Alabama, with only the game against the Gamecocks being within a score.

Arnett’s team did get a bye over the weekend, which should play to its advantage, as Arkansas is coming off four straight conference losses away from home.

The last meeting between the teams in Fayetteville was a narrow 31-28 Hog victory, with the Bulldogs missing a field goal that would’ve sent the game to overtime.

MSU won last year’s game 40-17. KJ Jefferson was inactive, and neither Malik Hornsby nor Cade Fortin could do much for the Razorback offense.