Mississippi State coaching search: 7 candidates reportedly in the mix to consider

Mississippi State is looking for a new coach after it parted ways with Zach Arnett after less than a season at the helm of the Bulldogs.

Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports reported some candidates to consider are Liberty’s Jamey Chadwell, Kansas’ Lance Leipold, Tulane’s Willie Fritz, Florida Atlantic’s Tom Herman, Troy’s Jon Sumrall, Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby and SMU coach Rhett Lashlee.

Lebby and Lashlee have SEC West experience as offensive assistants at Ole Miss and Auburn, and Sumrall is a former defensive assistant at Kentucky.

Some names to ponder for the opening at Mississippi State: Jamey Chadwell, Lance Leipold, Willie Fritz, Tom Herman, Jon Sumrall, Jeff Lebby and Rhett Lashlee.

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) November 13, 2023

Arnett broke a streak of 3 straight offensive-minded coaches of the Bulldogs after Dan Mullen, Joe Moorhead and Mike Leach.

Given the timing, State is the 2nd school this season to fire a coach for on-field performance, after Texas A&M fired Jimbo Fisher on Sunday. This should give Athletics Director Zac Selmon a jump on the hiring process, especially because he likely won’t be considering the same candidates as the Aggies.