mississippi state After defensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler has been informed he is not returning next season, the Bulldogs are targeting former head coach Zach Arnette as the next defensive coordinator, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Saturday.
The move would mark a rare reunion of a former head coach returning to that team’s staff.
Arnette is a proven high-level defensive coordinator in the SEC. In three years as Mississippi State’s DC (2020–22), their defense ranked in the top five in the conference in total defense, rushing defense and takeaways.
He took over as coach following the death of Mike Leach in December 2022, but Arnett was fired with two games to play in 2023 after leading the Bulldogs to a 4–6 record that season.
After leaving Mississippi State, Arnett has spent the last two seasons as an analyst ole miss And Florida State,
Hutzler had been the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator since 2024, but Mississippi State ranked last and second in yards allowed per game and points per game the past two seasons.
