Now by some coincidence the next morning, Mississippi State fired Zach Arnett. With only two games remaining to complete a full season, the Bulldogs were 4-6 and only needed to win their last two games to become bowl eligible. In Arnett’s defense, he took over after the death of Mike Leach which did put them and the rest in a difficult position.
Now for the next coincidence, would it be possible that MSU dismissed Arnett to go after Jimbo Fisher? A lot have said that it’s highly unlikely due to his recent contract with the Aggies and his failure to develop strong talent with the recruiting class he brought in. The failure of keeping a starting quarterback also played a part in his downfall more than anything.
If it’s one thing Jimbo knows is offense. Mississippi State has always been an offensive hungry team, mostly due to the success of Dan Mullen and Mike Leach. Most likely Arnett’s biggest mistake was tampering with a good thing by hiring a whole new staff. Will Rogers had been injured during the middle of the season which made their numbers drop big time.
Believe it or not, Dan Mullen’s name has come up for a possible return but there still could be some baggage after the way he bolted for Florida. A trip to the SEC Championship during the COVID year proved to be promising despite losing to Alabama but nearly all of his offensive weapons skipped the Sugar Bowl to enter the NFL Draft. Florida was never the same afterwards as he was fired before the 2021 season ended.
So who would you prefer if you had to flip a coin? Take a chance at Jimbo Fisher, hoping he wouldn’t ask for an iron clad contract or forgive Dan Mullen? Rhett Lashlee who was once the offensive coordinator at Auburn and now the head coach at SMU is also a possible choice.
Arnett’s schemes wasn’t exactly welcoming by some fans. In his defense however, Zac Selmon should have given him one more year to prove himself. It’s not all Arnett’s fault to say the least. Wherever he ends up, he’ll go with his head held high with lots of lessons learned at least as a defensive coordinator.
For the time being, it’s between Jimbo and Mullen. Who would be the first to the table? For both coaches, there would be a lot of baggage to clear out before MSU talks to either one of them. Long story short: both are my choices.
Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay
