Next Head FB coach

[GATORDawg1234]

Mississippi State Football is more than one person and cannot afford to wait. The search for a new AD and HC starts now and should be relentless. MSU cannot make the same dismal mistake that Arkansas made after Petrino?s downfall and hire a placeholder. Look at how that turned out. No, we must recruit the best available coach on the market. Mississippi State is a top 25 national program and has standards.

If we make a mistake now: our football program will become the basketball team. Such is why I support skipping the bowl game and immediately starting an aggressive hiring process. We will not beat Illinois in these circumstances. Not only was Leach the offensive coordinator, but we are losing key players on both sides of the ball. Playing the bowl game now puts the team in an impossible situation and serves no purpose. We have little to gain but much to lose. Psychology matters in these situations; a blowout in Tampa would set the team back.

As for candidates, Zach Arnett is not qualified to become the head coach. This topic is not even up for rational debate. Arnett is not an SEC head coach at this point in his career. How we feel about him is entirely irrelevant. Mississippi State is not an entry-level position; we need a proven coach with previous head coaching experience, offensive expertise, and Mississippi ties.

The only coaches who fit those above criteria are Dan Mullen and Todd Monken. There are reasons to suspect that neither would take the job. However, Mullen has sent some signals on Twitter over the past month, such as defending Mike Leach from Dillon Johnson stupid comment and giving State favorable attention.

Make Dan Mullen turn us down with $6 million over four years. Rumors are that he wants an NFL job ? but they do not want him. We have a real shot there.

Let's not Napier this thing up!

[Jarius]

Unfortunately, we are going to have to do a search. You can’t recruit with an interim tag on you and in this conference that is a death sentence. The AD hire will be made soon and a head coach named after the bowl game more than likely.

[Irondawg]

I can see Arnett hating to do all the non football things a HC does and just being happy being a DC.

This whole things is horrible and it?s happening at a time in the calendar where you have no time to mourn as an administration.

Spurrier has tried to get a HC position - name him the HC with a 3 year contract with basically a very small termination clause. Keeps things in place for the next year while we hire an AD and it might work out fine.

It?s important to me to keep Arnett under any scenario as we need some stability.

[Maroonthirteen]

Assistant coaches are the primary recruiters. Players spend most of their football time with assistants. Without an AD, you name an interm HC and keep this staff together for continuity.

Hire an AD soon. Then get to work on the next HC. I see us with an interm until the next hiring cycle, 12 months.

[Todd4State]

How about some modified version of the Air Raid?

That's fine. I'm not expecting an offense exactly like Leach. We just shouldn't go like completely in a different direction.

Agree, except the AD needs to start the search the day he's hired.

I wish we could just stop and not worry about this crap for a while because it feels so unimportant at this moment, but unfortunately Keenum and the new AD have to move things forward and do what's best for the program. The calendar between the portal, signing days, players being able to transfer, etc just doesn't allow for any stoppage with uncertainty as to who is going to lead us as the next head coach.

I agree. But I'm guessing we won't name the coach until after the bowl.

[Todd4State]

I can see Arnett hating to do all the non football things a HC does and just being happy being a DC.

This whole things is horrible and it?s happening at a time in the calendar where you have no time to mourn as an administration.

Spurrier has tried to get a HC position - name him the HC with a 3 year contract with basically a very small termination clause. Keeps things in place for the next year while we hire an AD and it might work out fine.

It?s important to me to keep Arnett under any scenario as we need some stability.

The thing is we've already named Arnett the interim so that tells me we're not likely to promote Spurrier.

[Jarius]

Assistant coaches are the primary recruiters. Players spend most of their football time with assistants. Without an AD, you name an interm HC and keep this staff together for continuity.

Hire an AD soon. Then get to work on the next HC. I see us with an interm until the next hiring cycle, 12 months.

The chances of us having an interim head coach for 12 months is zero.

[BuckyIsAB****]

People can say whatever they want about its ruthless blah blah blah. But my personal opinion is that it just doesnt matter right now. This is so much bigger than that. And I love football. It is my living. But this is bigger. No offense to anyone just needed to say that

[Turfdawg67]

People can say whatever they want about its ruthless blah blah blah. But my personal opinion is that it just doesnt matter right now. This is so much bigger than that. And I love football. It is my living. But this is bigger. No offense to anyone just needed to say that

Agreed.

[Maroonthirteen]

People can say whatever they want about its ruthless blah blah blah. But my personal opinion is that it just doesnt matter right now. This is so much bigger than that. And I love football. It is my living. But this is bigger. No offense to anyone just needed to say that

Exactly. This isn't a normal situation. I can't imagine how those guys that played and coached with him everyday feel.

[CoachT14]

Exactly. This isn't a normal situation. I can't imagine how those guys that played and coached with him everyday feel.

Call it ruthless but if we have an interim for the next year you can say goodbye to the program Mike built. You can’t sustain it in modern day football

[DownwardDawg]

Call it ruthless but if we have an interim for the next year you can say goodbye to the program Mike built. You can’t sustain it in modern day football

Good point. Leach is an absolute warrior. He would be pissed if we kill what he has built.

[MetEdDawg]

Hire Charles Huff, promote Spurrier Jr to OC.

It's going to take a very specific person to get our university through this. To honor Leach and protect the university and its people while also trying to move us forward.

This is a tough ask for anyone.

[yjnkdawg]

That's what Arnett said. Now, maybe he's just caught up in the suddenness of it all. But he was asked point blank by a player if he was going to be here next year, or take a HC job if offered, and he said he didn't have a desire to be the HC. I'm not saying who asked him because I don't know if he would want me to name him.

It could be the reason that Arnett said he didn't want to be HC was because we still officially have a HC, and he didn't think it was appropriate to comment on that at this time. It could also be why would you tell one of your players that when they would tell others and then it would be the players wanting him as HC and he doesn't know which direction Keenum and /or an AD wants to go. Just more controversy added to an already sad situation. He could always change his mind later on. And then again he may not want the position.

[viverlibre]

Isn't a sitting SEC HC married to a Starkville native whose father is Chief of Police? Beamer ball to Vegas, baby!

[ScooterDog]

If Leach recovers? I would say interim coach up to the bowl game. After that we will have to wait and see what God has in store for us. Just keep the faith folks.

[PikeDawg15]

It?s too soon but we all know it?s got to happen.

I would go Prime Time.

You can get him to immediately leave Colorado.


You have a few options

Promote Arnette to HC
Gus Malzahn
Willie Fritz
Clark Lea
Jamie chadwell
Gosh man I don?t know.

[BuckyIsAB****]

Nobody is saying to have an interim for a year. I am saying now is not the time to even worry about it. There is more to life than SEC football games

[Todd4State]

What complicates things even further is Leach was also the OC. So we lose both. And the problem is we technically lose two spots but can only replace it both with one person.

I don't see how we're going to do this without losing someone else on the offensive side of the ball.

Inexperienced head coach with an inexperienced play called and possibly the DC moving up is not good.

We really probably just need to go get someone like Clay Helton or Tyson Helton and roll with it.

[Todd4State]

It?s too soon but we all know it?s got to happen.

I would go Prime Time.

You can get him to immediately leave Colorado.


You have a few options

Promote Arnette to HC
Gus Malzahn
Willie Fritz
Clark Lea
Jamie chadwell
Gosh man I don?t know.

Prime Time makes more sense than any of those others. Prime will probably clean house though. And I would guess that Tony Hughes may find it awkward working for him since Prime replaced him at Jackson State.