Zach Arnett, Former Mississippi State Coach, Joins Florida State as Analyst
Zach Arnett, who recently served as head coach at Mississippi State, has taken on an analyst role in Florida State's coaching staff after a brief hiatus.
Former Mississippi State head coach Zach Arnett has joined the Florida State staff as an analyst, as reported by 247Sports. In the previous season, he worked as an analyst at Ole Miss.
Arnett took the helm at Mississippi State following Mike Leach’s passing in December 2022. Previously the defensive coordinator, he succeeded in guiding the team to a ReliaQuest Bowl victory against Illinois before being appointed as the full-time coach in 2023. However, he was let go after only ten games, finishing the season with a 4-6 record.
In 2024, he transitioned to work as an analyst at Ole Miss and was initially recruited to be the defensive coordinator in Dan Mullen’s setup at UNLV, but resigned in April for personal reasons.
A former linebacker at New Mexico, Arnett climbed the coaching ladder focusing on defense, starting as a graduate assistant at San Diego State and eventually becoming the linebackers coach and defensive coordinator. He joined Mississippi State in 2020 when Leach hired him.
At Florida State, he will collaborate again with defensive coordinator Tony White, who was Arnett’s positional coach during his time at New Mexico in 2008.
Arnett’s expertise will be critical for a Florida State defense that allowed an average of 28.0 points per game last season, ranking 10th in the ACC and 87th in the nation.
