Next Head FB coach

[Dawgface]

Good decision in my book but not everyone will think so. But that holds true in any coaching hire.

[Really Clark?]

Only surprise is that it happened this quickly but understandable. Let's go ZA!!!

[Catfish]

Most important thing now is the right guy for OC.

[mparkerfd20]

Not crazy about this at all, tbh. But what else you gonna do? I feel like everything we could have done was gonna be a huge risk. If we get the right OC in place it can still work and thrive. I'll support the hell out of Arnett and hopefully we just caught lightning in a bottle.

[Commercecomet24]

I have mixed feelings. Love Zack and he's a high energy guy who players play hard for and this will provide some continuity to the program. He's a great recruiter and loves State and Mississippi. Really only downside is his lack of experience. The upside we won't have to pay him Leach money and we can take the excess and hire a great oc and staff. I believe he can do a good job but we may have to put up with some growing pains on occasion. Let's all get behind and the team and rally with them and get this thing moving forward!

[Dawgface]

Most important thing now is the right guy for OC.

Yep. I wonder if Arnett will be making that decision or will it be made by committee so to speak? Normally the HC would have full power to do so but this situation is a little different.

[Commercecomet24]

I'll share what I heard just a couple hours ago and it may be just a good story. But apparently as they were going through Leachs office they found a note that said "when in doubt trust Zack". Take it for what it's worth.

[basedog]

I'll share what I heard just a couple hours ago and it may be just a good story. But apparently as they were going through Leachs office they found a note that said "when in doubt trust Zack". Take it for what it's worth.

I don't doubt this, again I will say this, I think Leach was gonna retire after the bowl game. Very strange him sending Arnett to Tampa for the Bowl game rep.

[Dawgface]

I'll share what I heard just a couple hours ago and it may be just a good story. But apparently as they were going through Leachs office they found a note that said "when in doubt trust Zack". Take it for what it's worth.

Interesting. Almost sounds like Leach was worried about his health and left a note about who he trusted most on staff.

[Commercecomet24]

Interesting. Almost sounds like Leach was worried about his health and left a note about who he trusted most on staff.

Yeah it may just be an apocryphal story but I got it from a couple reliable sources and he did put a lot on Zack including sending him to media day for the bowl. Leach was grooming Zack to become an HC anyway. I do know one thing we'll get max effort from Zack 100% of time.

[Commercecomet24]

I don't doubt this, again I will say this, I think Leach was gonna retire after the bowl game. Very strange him sending Arnett to Tampa for the Bowl game rep.

I think he definitely felt like his health was failing. Strange thing the players were saying leach seemed healthier than he'd been all year right up until that day. I deal with a lot of seniors and it's not uncommon for them to have moments of great energy and clarity and feel like their old selves and then pass shortly thereafter

[Cowbell]

Yeah it may just be an apocryphal story but I got it from a couple reliable sources and he did put a lot on Zack including sending him to media day for the bowl. Leach was grooming Zack to become an HC anyway. I do know one thing we'll get max effort from Zack 100% of time.

And honestly any other candidate is no less of a gamble in this big boy league and we would lose some of our players

[Commercecomet24]

And honestly any other candidate is no less of a gamble in this big boy league and we would lose some of our players

Agree. Man it's just such a tough situation for all involved.

[Cowbell]

Agree. Man it's just such a tough situation for all involved.

And we know he can atleast outsmart the coach up north

[Jarius]

This was handled about as poorly as possibly by the same person who hired a baseball coach to run our athletic department a few years ago. He had no business making a football coaching hire with no AD in place. He farted around for 2 months and didn’t hire an AD and now had to do this because he has no one qualified to hire coaches in place to do so.

That being said, I fully support Arnett and I will give him and the Bulldog football team my full support. I’ll be in Tampa and I will be at most games going forward no matter the coach. I hope this hire works out. I love Arnett as a DC. Let’s roll.

[CoachT14]

I have mixed feelings. Love Zack and he's a high energy guy who players play hard for and this will provide some continuity to the program. He's a great recruiter and loves State and Mississippi. Really only downside is his lack of experience. The upside we won't have to pay him Leach money and we can take the excess and hire a great oc and staff. I believe he can do a good job but we may have to put up with some growing pains on occasion. Let's all get behind and the team and rally with them and get this thing moving forward!

This is myself as well.

I’m extremely worried about the OC hire. If it’s Miller, Spurrier, Hollingshed, or even the Lindley guy Arnett is rumored to be big friends with, that is 4 options that would all be first time play callers.

So now not only are we taking huge risks with Arnett as HC, we are doing the same with the OC. That’s a lot of risk in situation that didn’t need it.

Now if can hire any of the following then I’m good and 100% on board:

Riley, Briles (long shots)

Kittley, Harrell, or Littrell

Hatcher, Andrew Sowder (OC at Kent State, Briles coaching tree)

[BuckyIsAB****]

I'll share what I heard just a couple hours ago and it may be just a good story. But apparently as they were going through Leachs office they found a note that said "when in doubt trust Zack". Take it for what it's worth.

Man that is deep

[Leroy Jenkins]

I have mixed feelings. Love Zack and he's a high energy guy who players play hard for and this will provide some continuity to the program. He's a great recruiter and loves State and Mississippi. Really only downside is his lack of experience. The upside we won't have to pay him Leach money and we can take the excess and hire a great oc and staff. I believe he can do a good job but we may have to put up with some growing pains on occasion. Let's all get behind and the team and rally with them and get this thing moving forward!

Every word of this is spot on.

[HoopsDawg]

This was handled about as poorly as possibly by the same person who hired a baseball coach to run our athletic department a few years ago. He had no business making a football coaching hire with no AD in place. He farted around for 2 months and didn’t hire an AD and now had to do this because he has no one qualified to hire coaches in place to do so.

That being said, I fully support Arnett and I will give him and the Bulldog football team my full support. I’ll be in Tampa and I will be at most games going forward no matter the coach. I hope this hire works out. I love Arnett as a DC. Let’s roll.

I'm in the same boat. Let's hope they don't f up this OC hire.

[bulldawg28]

I'll share what I heard just a couple hours ago and it may be just a good story. But apparently as they were going through Leachs office they found a note that said "when in doubt trust Zack". Take it for what it's worth.

That almost made me tear up

[Catfish]

And we know he can atleast outsmart the coach up north

Lane Kiffin is still kicking rocks over Arnett's defense.

[Commercecomet24]

Lane Kiffin is still kicking rocks over Arnett's defense.

Lane got outcoached by Zack!

[Pancho]

dam goal line D at midfield is tricky for the offensive savant, I guess.

[Catfish]

Watching Zack on the sidelines will be like watching Matt Campbell. Lot of fire.

[Commercecomet24]

dam goal line D at midfield is tricky for the offensive savant, I guess.

Awesome! If any of y'all remember the movie "All the right Moves", Zack ran the, 62 stack monster, 62 stack monster, ready break all night long! Lol

[Todd4State]

I think he definitely felt like his health was failing. Strange thing the players were saying leach seemed healthier than he'd been all year right up until that day. I deal with a lot of seniors and it's not uncommon for them to have moments of great energy and clarity and feel like their old selves and then pass shortly thereafter

I had a doctor tell me one time that that is pretty common. It's like our bodies basically make one last stand and you sometimes see people do better right before they pass away.

[Todd4State]

Watching Zack on the sidelines will be like watching Matt Campbell. Lot of fire.

Yeah. We probably need to figure out who is going to coach once he gets ejected for telling Marc Curles to go **** himself.

[TorpedoIPA]

I think he definitely felt like his health was failing. Strange thing the players were saying leach seemed healthier than he'd been all year right up until that day. I deal with a lot of seniors and it's not uncommon for them to have moments of great energy and clarity and feel like their old selves and then pass shortly thereafter

He looked like he had aged so much since he came to STATE. I remember how thin and trim he looked on his bicycle at Key West, during the time be was out of work, before he was hired at Washington State.

Read an article on Chris Peterson, who coached Washington and just walked away. He says he had made a decision days before the 2019 Apple cup and had told no one. In the pregame conversation with Leach, Mike asked him how long he was going to coach. Peterson thought Leach was a mind reader. I wonder if Leach was thinking about it then.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/28218850/washington-chris-petersen-says-anxiety-stress-led-decision-step-down

[Pancho]

Yeah. We probably need to figure out who is going to coach once he gets ejected for telling Marc Curles to go **** himself.

May need a " get back coach" just for Coach Arnett now for sure.......

[Johnson85]

This was handled about as poorly as possibly by the same person who hired a baseball coach to run our athletic department a few years ago. He had no business making a football coaching hire with no AD in place. He farted around for 2 months and didn?t hire an AD and now had to do this because he has no one qualified to hire coaches in place to do so.

That being said, I fully support Arnett and I will give him and the Bulldog football team my full support. I?ll be in Tampa and I will be at most games going forward no matter the coach. I hope this hire works out. I love Arnett as a DC. Let?s roll.

I hadn't really thought about this but yes, that has been a colossal 17up by Keenum. How do you go two months without a head of a $90M (or whatever it is now) operation and not be ready to pull the trigger on a hire. I could understand if we had an experienced and qualified #2 and a good supporting staff, but whatever the merits of our staff are, we've had Bracky operating as interim. That is not a sign that there is no urgency to get a new guy in place.

[TrapGame]

May need a " get back coach" just for Coach Arnett now for sure.......

I believe our S&C coach is his get back coach. He's the only one conditioned enough to pull back all that passion.

[Commercecomet24]

I had a doctor tell me one time that that is pretty common. It's like our bodies basically make one last stand and you sometimes see people do better right before they pass away.

I've seen it happen so many times. It's almost a sign that they're about to pass. Had this just happen with an uncle. In hospital for a couple weeks wasn't doing good at all. All of a sudden got much better and coherent again. They sent him home and he was gone in a couple days.

[Lord McBuckethead]

Reminds me of the movie "Draft Day" where Kevin Costner's character woke up on the morning of the draft and wrote down "Vontae Mack No Matter What" as to not get distracted in the moment.

[MrCoachKlein]

Reminds me of the movie "Draft Day" where Kevin Costner's character woke up on the morning of the draft and wrote down "Vontae Mack No Matter What" as to not get distracted in the moment.

Gotta be one of the top 10 worst and most unrealistic movies ever.

[DownwardDawg]

Lane got outcoached by Zack!

Big time. He abused Kiffin.