Zach Arnett lands 3-year Mississippi State deal after Coleman Hutzler exit

Mississippi State football changed defensive coordinators on Saturday. Zach Arnett became rumored to fill the vacancy for the Bulldogs. Now the two sides have agreed to a new deal following the departure of Coleman Hutzler.

The Bulldogs handed the former head coach and DC a three-year deal, ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel reported. Head coach Jeff Lebby watched the defense struggle under Hutzler — including an overtime collapse against Texas.

Hutzler’s defense fell to 95th overall in the nation. Only Arkansas delivered worse results on that side of the football.

Now Arnett arrives earning one more chance on the campus. This time without leading the team on an interim basis.

Zach Arnett once led Mississippi State following sudden loss

Arnett needed to guide the Bulldogs following sudden tragedy.

He took control of the head coaching duties following the death of Mike Leach, who passed from a heart attack in Dec. 2022. Leach became eligible for the College Football Hall of Fame during the summer of 2025.

Arnett went 4-6 in replacing Leach during the 2023 season — ultimately getting replaced by Greg Knox. Lebby then earned the head coaching job in 2024, but went 2-10 that year.

The Bulldogs showed improvement in 2025 by finishing 5-7 overall. But Lebby and the Bulldogs went 1-7 against Southeastern Conference opponents.

Mississippi State managed to pull off one major win on the college football recruiting trail. Lebby and company flipped four-star Auburn commit Bralan Womack on National Signing Day.

Now with Arnett back on board, the Bulldogs likely will turn to the College Football Transfer Portal to see who can help turn the defensive unit around.

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