Zach Arnett
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Defensive coordinator |
| Team | Mississippi State |
| Conference | SEC |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | September 10, 1986 Albuquerque, New Mexico |
| Playing career | |
| 2005–2008 | New Mexico |
| Position(s) | Linebacker |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 2011–2013 | San Diego State (GA) |
| 2014–2017 | San Diego State (LB) |
| 2018–2019 | San Diego State (DC/LB) |
| 2020–present | Mississippi State (DC/LB) |
Zachary Arnett (born September 10, 1986) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the defensive coordinator at Mississippi State. He played linebacker from 2005 to 2008 at New Mexico and began his coaching career in 2011.
Playing career[]
Arnett attended La Cueva High School[1] and was a two-sport athlete in football and baseball. He originally accepted an offer to play for the New Mexico Lobos baseball team, but he earned a scholarship to the football team in the summer of 2005. He excelled on the field and in the classroom during his college career, earning six forced fumbles and was a first-team Academic All-American in 2008.[2]
Coaching career[]
After being away from football for two years, he became a graduate assistant at San Diego State under his New Mexico head coach Rocky Long. Within three years, he was promoted to linebackers coach. His linebacker unit produced five different All-Mountain West selections, including 3-time All-Mountain West selection Calvin Munson.[3] In 2018, he was promoted again, this time to defensive coordinator. Under him, San Diego State ranked 32nd in total defense in 2018 and 2nd in 2019, which was a 30-place gain from the year before.[4][5]
On January 11, 2020, he was named the new defensive coordinator at Syracuse. However, the stint with Syracuse was short-lived, as Mississippi State matched Syracuse’s offer on January 22.[6] He will inherit a defense that ranked 73rd in total defense and is losing seven starters. Before the 2021 season, Arnett interviewed with big programs like Oregon, LSU, and Texas for their defensive coordinator vacancies, before ultimately deciding to stay at Mississippi State.
References[]
- ^ Sickenger, Ken. "Success Has Been A Constant Companion of La Cueva's Zach Arnett". Albuquerque Journal.
- ^ Wilmes, Collin. "Get to Know New Defensive Coordinator Zach Arnett". SB Nation: For Whom the Cowbell Tolls.
- ^ "Zach Arnett". SDSU Athletics.
- ^ "2019 College Football Team Defense".
- ^ "2018 College Football Team Defense".
- ^ "Zach Arnett". Mississippi State Athletics.
 | This biographical article relating to an American football coach is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by . |
- Living people
- 1986 births
- New Mexico Lobos football players
- San Diego State Aztecs football coaches
- Mississippi State Bulldogs football coaches
- American football coach stubs