Not Your Typical Coach’s Address
SEC Media Days are the unofficial start to the football season. The head coaches from each of the 14 programs deliver their vision of what to expect in the coming season. For most, it was business as usual. For Mississippi State, it was a unique Media Day 2023.
Mississippi State head coach Zach Arnett took the stage Tuesday afternoon to deliver his vision for the new season. This was his first major press conference since assuming the helm back in December. He ascended to the role under unquestionably unusual circumstances.
There are a lot of unanswered questions about this first-time head coach and the program he’s bringing to Starkville. But more importantly, questions about the other person up there on the stage with Arnett.
It’s Not the Commish
It started Monday as SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey kicked off Media Days.
Sankey stepped up to the podium conspicuously tieless. Within his address, he explained.
“Last year in Atlanta, one of my backstage conversations was about the uselessness of neckties. It was a conversation that went much longer than I anticipated and ended in the rhetorical question of why neckties survived but powder wigs went away.”
“That conversation was with Mike Leach, and today I’m without a tie just to honor Mike’s memory.”
Sankey wasn’t alone in his feelings about Leach, and his remarks seemed to set a tone as the conference progressed.
He continued, “You know we lost Mike in December, a person important not simply to the South Eastern Conference – we only had him for a few seasons – but to all of college football.” Sankey added, “He was fascinating and impacted the lives of thousands of people across the college football spectrum and across his life. He also observed the world from a perspective that made you think and often made you laugh, and sometimes made you just perplexed.”
He concluded, “It’s important that we remember people who have contributed, be it for the short-term or the long-term to this wonderful conference. And we’re going to miss Mike, but he’s not going to be forgotten.”
The Feeling is Mutual
A tribute to Leach, narrated by ESPN’s Ryan McGee, that included excerpts from conference coaches, played just prior to Arnett’s turn at the podium Tuesday.
This was not lost on State’s new head coach. In fact, Arnett embraced it in his opening remarks, almost in a Leachish style.
He began his opening statement, “I would like to acknowledge that I have seen the graphic listing the word count for every head coach’s opening statement last year at this event, and Coach Leach’s was seven.”
“Seven words. I’ve already said too much, and that combined with wearing a tie, I’m sure I’ve disappointed him a little bit here today.” Arnett continued, “In recognition of his tremendous impact and influence not only on the game of football but on myself, I’m going to do my best to keep this short and sweet.”Arnett kept it relatively short going only five minutes and 12 seconds before opening it up to questions.
And Now Over to the Press
The Q&A session was peppered with questions about Leach, but there was other football business to address as well.
One of the biggest questions was about the new Mississippi State offense and the replacement of Leach’s Air Raid. Notably, the question was how Arnett landed on Kevin Barbay as the new offensive coordinator. “Yeah, obviously we talked to a lot of different candidates in this offensive coordinator search, and the first question at every single one was, all right, tell me what your offense looks like. What’s it going it look like? What is the identity out there?” Arnett said,
“Obviously, you get a lot of different answers, and I think the most refreshing thing, talking to Coach Barbay, Kevin, was when I asked that question the response was, I can’t tell you that until we figure out who the best 11 players are. That was refreshing to hear that level of humility because that’s how I was brought up in this business.”
Arnett continued, “But simply put, right, players and coaches do not influence – coaches and the scheme do not influence and affect the players. The players influence the scheme that you run. So, we’re going to figure out who our best players are and get them out there and in position to be the most successful so we can move the ball and score points.”
Playoffs? Don’t Talk About Playoffs
He had mentioned prior to Media Days that he believes the Bulldogs have a chance to compete in the playoffs next year. This is when they will expand to 12 teams. “You look back to some of the years they’ve had (the Bulldogs), without a doubt, right, when they had Dak Prescott, there’s four nine-win seasons in the last nine years,” he said. You can look back to that special season with Dak Prescott, I believe it was 2014.” Arnett continued, “If that’s a 12-team playoff they’re in the playoffs. I mean, the proof is in the pudding. There is data to look back on and go, yeah, if you can recruit and put a team on the field at that high of a level and have that level of success in this league, you’re in the expanded playoff.”
Arnett’s Defense
On the defensive side of the ball, Arnett spent three years as a defensive coordinator under Leach. Arnett had a great deal of autonomy. So, in essence, the players, the schemes, and the Mississippi State 2023 defense are his. But, who would be in control?
“You ask if I’m going to continue to be the defensive coordinator and the play caller. No, I’m not. I’ve got experience with that.” He continued, “Obviously as a head coach in the ballgame and leading up to that I did not think I could prepare as well as the other defensive coaches with all the other hats and responsibilities I was wearing, so I gave over play-calling duties in that bowl game to Matt Brock, who was our linebacker coach at the time. He’s our defensive coordinator.”
Back to Mike Leach
As mentioned before, there were several questions about Leach. The one that was most on people’s minds was what kind of influence Leach has on the team of 2023.
“There’s a lot of slogans and words said in our building over the last three years: ‘Don’t listen to the noise;’ ‘Play the next play;’ all things that were kind of the DNA of Mike Leach’s program that we still say to this day.” Arnett said. “We repeat a lot of the same things, and on certain walls maybe some words are different or pictures change or whatever, but there is a lot that I have taken from Mike Leach and will continue to be an influence on our program moving forward.“
Perhaps Leach’s spirit was with Bulldogs in their come-from-behind win against Illinois. That was Arnett’s first game as head coach. Some quipped that Arnett was the only undefeated coach at SEC Media Days. Indeed, he is 1-0 at this point.
Will he continue those winning ways in 2023? Only time will tell as the new season unfolds. Regardless, Arnett seems to be in the right place at the right time.
As he puts it, “I’m humbled and proud to be the head football coach at Mississippi State University, a place where you can compete at the highest level in the best conference in all of college football, you can get a world-class education, and your dreams can become a reality.”
Photo courtesy: Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK
