Mississippi State Head Coach Zach Arnett took over the program following the sudden passing of Mike Leach ahead of the 2023 Reliaquest Bowl Game against Illinois. Coach Arnett was named the next Head Coach of Mississippi State following the bowl win over the Illini. Many thought it was just something to weather the storm of uncertainty following the passing of Coach Mike Leach, but for others, hiring Coach Zach Arnett was the right move as he is considered one of the best young coaches in college football. Coach Arnett would have the opportunity to give the Southeastern Conference a strong homefront in the wake of uncertainty during his opening press conference on Tuesday morning.

In his opening sentence, Coach Arnett spoke on the legacy of Coach Leach. Coach Arnett credited Mike Leach for bringing him to Mississippi State. Coach Arnett also mentioned the generational impact that Coach Leach has on football.

Following, Coach Arnett got down to business, talking about Mississippi State Football ahead of the 2023 season. Coach Arnett opened the floor by talking about his upper-class leadership; he had to return to Starkville, Mississippi, this fall to lead the Bulldogs to a 14th straight bowl appearance. Coach mentioned Will Rodgers, Nathan Pickering, Nathaniel Watson, and Jett Johnson by name, describing them as leaders of the 2023 Mississippi State Football team.

Coach Arnett mentioned the offensive questions by telling the media how well of a job Coach Kevin Barbay had done since leaving App State in the off-season and becoming the Offensive Coordinator at Mississippi State. Coach Barbay worked wonders at App State, giving the Mountaineers one of the most prolific offensives in the country during the 2022 season. Coach mentioned that Will Rodgers had worked wonders under Coach Barbay and has improved exceptionally under the new system giving Mississippi State a needed bump heading into the 2023 season.

On the defensive side of the ball, Coach Arnett told reporters that he would no longer be calling the defensive plays giving the job to Matt Brock. Coach Arnett reassured the Mississippi State faithful that Coach Brock would take the Mississippi State defensive unit to new heights, making them tougher to handle for opposing offensives. Coach Arnett took the time to reiterate the importance of having guys like Nathan Pickering, Jett Johnson, and Nathaniel Watson on that side of the ball leading the charge for the Bulldogs.

Coach Arnett closed his media appearance on Tuesday by describing in detail his vision for the future of Mississippi State Football. Coach Arnett vividly described his vision for Mississippi State using the descriptive words; blue-collar, hard-nosed, physical, and hard-to-beat. He stated his Mississippi State Bulldogs would play to the whistle and provide the Bulldog faithful with a product on the field they would be proud of.

Overall, Coach Arnett won the podium on Tuesday morning, giving the Mississippi State faithful a lot to be excited about as the Bulldogs prepare for the season opener on September 2nd at Davis Wade Stadium against Southeast Louisiana.