Mississippi State defensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler has been informed that he is not returning next season, with the Bulldogs expected to target former head coach Zach Arnett to be the next defensive coordinator, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel on Saturday.
The move would be the rare reunion of a former head coach returning to the staff of that team.
Arnett is a proven high-end defensive coordinator in the SEC. In three years as Mississippi State DC (2020-22), his defenses ranked in the top five in the conference in total defense, rushing defense and takeaways.
He took over as coach following the death of Mike Leach in December 2022, but Arnett was fired with two games to play in 2023 after leading the Bulldogs to a 4-6 record that season.
After leaving Mississippi State, Arnett has spent the past two seasons as an analyst at Ole Miss and Florida State.
Hutzler had been the Bulldogs defensive coordinator since 2024, but Mississippi State has ranked last and second to last in yards per game allowed and points per game allowed the past two seasons.
