Mississippi State embraces new era at SEC Media Days
For the first time since 2019, the Mississippi State football program heads into SEC Media Days coached by someone other than the late, great Mike Leach.
But his memory still strong as ever this week in Nashville as Commissioner Greg Sankey took the podium without a neck tie in honor of the Pirate.
MSU still undefeated under new Head Coach Zach Arnett, who led the Bulldogs to a 19-10 ReliaQuest Bowl game victory over Illinois following the tragic passing of Coach Leach, resulting in a 9-4 season overall.
Arnett was the defensive coordinator all three years under Leach, but the coaching transition should be just as easy on offense with the return of Will Rogers under center.
The senior quarterback was a popular man on day two of SEC Media Days after finishing top 10 in both passing yards and touchdowns in 2022. “There’s learning curves for sure, but that’s why we’re out there as much as we are. That’s why we did the winter OTA’s, spring ball, and then these summer OTA’s. I think that’s why we’re getting those done, so we’re not making the same mistakes over and over. Obviously, new offense, new offensive coordinator, new terminology, there’s going to be mistakes. On thing I try to challenge myself with is that, don’t make the same mistake twice. One mistake that I made in spring ball on Tuesday, don’t make that same mistake Thursday, so I’ve tried to become a better player every single day.”
Coach Arnett said, “We’re kind of enjoying one of our most successful periods in program history over this last decade. Last season, which I was there the last three years, right? Coach Leach, defensive coordinator. Last year was our fourth nine-win season in the last nine years. We’ve been to 13 consecutive bowl games, five first round picks in the last five years, so there’s a lot to be proud of. Anyways, my job isn’t to come in and bring this whole new drastically different program, it’s to continue the things that made Mississippi State football so successful for so long.”
MSU opens up the 2023 season at home in Starkville against Southeastern Louisiana on September 3rd.
