If you're tired of reading State posts, I get it. Just move along, there's plenty of other topics to peruse. Here is Steve's recap of the coaching search.
STEVE ROBERTSON43 minsVIP20
As noted in the November 13th column What We Knew and We Knew It, the news about Coach Zach Arnett's termination was widely known behind the scenes even before the Bulldogs hit the road to Texas A&M. It was simply of matter of when Arnett would be relieved of his duties rather than if. I caught wind of some feelers out following the loss at Auburn. The Tuesday before the trip to College Station, I learned that Arnett was out, but when he would be let go was still a matter of speculation. The thought at the time was that he would have the chance to finish out the season. I asked, "What if we get embarrassed at Texas A&M by a third team quarterback?" The source told me that in that case all bets were off.
After that 51-10 debacle at the hands of the Aggies, it was apparent to anyone with a reasonable level of intelligence, that the season simply could not continue with Arnett at the helm. On that unexpected and scenic drive back from A&M through central Louisiana, the phone was busy. Dana, my wife, drove, so I could take calls and communicate with several sources via text. I learned that an announcement about Arnett's status was not coming that Sunday, but that something could break loose on Monday. It did.
Back to that Sunday. I was told prior to Arnett's dismissal that there had already been some chatter about UCF coach Guz Malzahn possibly having some interest in returning to the Southeastern Conference and that Mississippi State might be a fit. A contact close to the Malzahn family told me that there had been some discussion, but that they had not heard anything concrete. I was also told that day that Arkansas may in fact make a move and the expectation was that either Gus Malzahn or Barry Odom would likely be the next coach at Arkansas. The source told me not to count out Mississippi State should Gus decide to make a move. As you know, once Arkansas announced Sam Pittman was staying, Malzahn's name resurfaced. That lasted a couple of hours. I was told later that Gus would probably retire at UCF and that he was not looking to get back into the SEC fray after all.
I received another call about former Washington State head coach Nick Rolovich that Sunday. I was told that he had some interest in the job and that he planned to pursue it. I had another source share that Rolo believed the infrastructure to win right away was already in place and that he could pick up where Mike Leach left off. I understood that Nick liked Will Rogers and felt he could put together a good offense around him that featured a ton of Air Raid concepts with more of a commitment to the running game. Other than a few contacts from those people following up with me to hear if I had heard anything about Rolo in connection with the job, I didn't hear much at all. I was told that some close to Rolo reached out to some Mississippi State donors to see who he needed to contact to get his name in the race, but it never really went farther than that.
Jamey Chadwell of Liberty made a lot of sense to me in the beginning. I believe then and now that the offense he runs would attract some talented players to Starkville. To me, it made a lot of sense to pursue him. I learned that his buyout was much higher than some suggested, but he was the first name I asked about when I began working through the network of sources. I learned that Chadwell had received a call about the job, but said that he was not interested. As I used that nugget in the next round of calls, someone close to Chadwell told me not to give up on him just yet. His focus was on the season and the chances of a perfect season. This person also told me that Chadwell would not seriously entertain any offers until after the regular season was over and that he wanted to see his team through championship weekend at the very least. In the days that followed, I kept running into dead ends. When it was all said and done, I had 19 people tell me that Chadwell was not a candidate for the job and that he was content to keep winning big at Liberty and wait out a blue blood. I was finally told by a source close to him that he was tired of being asked about the job and wanted to know where the smoke was coming from. I told him I wasn't sure and that everyone I had spoken to told me State just wasn't a fit for him right now. The person said, "Your sources are correct."
Willie Fritz of Tulane was the big name the first week of the search. I almost felt like people were pushing him on me. It seemed everyone I talked to had heard Fritz's name associated with the search. Many of those same sources said the talk among agents was that State would hire a sitting head coach who could bring his staff with him and get right to work. I was told that Fritz was intrigued by the possibilities and that he was going to give it some thought. I later learned that he was hoping that Houston would come calling. His daughter is there and I was told that his next stop would be his last stop. One source suggested that State needed to get someone who was ascending rather than a coach on the tail end of his career. After Fritz talked with State officials early last week, I never heard him mentioned again. What is interesting is that one source said that Mississippi State's new coach would be coaching on Friday and to look for possible leaks after the game. Of course, both Tulane and Oklahoma played on that Friday.
Barry Odom of UNLV was a guy who looked to be on the outside looking in at the beginning of the process. Odom or some close to him called several people within the Mississippi State network to express his interest in the job. As one source said, "Odom is politicking hard behind the scenes". It took a while, but I finally started hearing that his name had gained some traction and that he was expected to interview. In the end, that face to face interview never happened. I am not sure if it was Odom or State's call, but I was told last weekend that he was out and that he may elect to pursue the job at Houston that we all knew was about to come open.
I had a couple of sources tell me from the outset to watch G.J. Kinne as a candidate, but that they felt he was a bit of a long shot to get it. He did speak with Mississippi State officials. I was told after that conversation that he was excited about it all, but that he did not expect to get the job. Look for Kinne to be a hot name next year once the silly season begins. He has a lot of believers out there in the agent world.
It is interesting that the chatter about the Carolinas never really took off. I heard Mike Elko of Duke and Dave Doeren's name mentioned by a couple of people on one day. By the next day both names had faded. While some continued to mention Elko in connection with the search in the final days, he was out already. Things never really took off with either guy. One source suggested to me that their agents were simply using the attention to get them both better deals. In the end, Elko went to A&M which is where many people predicted at the beginning of their search.
The one name from the Carolinas that cause some anxiety with me was Shane Beamer. From the first day of the search, I had some people tell me that it was a no-brainer for Selmon to pursue Beamer considering how close they are. One source even shared that the two take family vacations together. I doubted that it would ever happen, but last week I was nearly convinced that it was going to happen. Monday night, I had multiple sources sharing that they believed things were brewing. We even wrote a story just to be prepared. On Tuesday, I spoke to a pair of sources who set me straight and said that it wasn't going to happen. Later in the week, I had an agent friend tell me that Beamer should seriously consider State and that he had passed that along to some close to Shane. It was the last I heard of it, but it made for some good message board discussion.
Rhett Lashlee of SMU got some early mentions in the media, but not much was shared in my discussions with sources. I was told he was happy there at SMU and that one day he might take an SEC job, but that he was not looking to make a move this year. One agent told me that Lashlee should have received a bigger raise in his most recent extension and that with SMU heading to the ACC that he deserved more. He felt that his name being associated with the job had more to do with the business side of football rather than any actual interest in the State job.
Jon Sumrall of Troy was in the discussion even before Arnett was terminated. I spoke to a handful of people close to Sumrall who said that he wanted the job and wanted to know what he needed to do be a serious candidate for the gig. On Friday night, in the midst of all of the Lebby smoke, one source informed me that Sumrall had multiple discussions with Mississippi State officials about the position and that he was very much in the thick of things. The Saturday that Troy played Southern Miss, I was told that Selmon has texted with Sumrall that morning. One source suggested I watch the game as there might be a mention of the possibility of Sumrall getting the Mississippi State job. By the end of the day, that flame had been extinguished. I learned later that with the Mark Stoops flirtations with Texas A&M that some connected to Kentucky wanted Sumrall to head to Lexington if Stoops followed through and accepted the job at A&M.
Then there was Lebby. From day one, I was told if State hired a coordinator that it was going to be Jeff Lebby. Glen Schumann's name was passed on to me by a handful of people, but I was later told that it was the product of good agent work rather than any serious interest from State. Lebby's name was always connected to the search and the Friday before he was hired it was everywhere. I confirmed through a couple of sources that no deal had been extended and no offer made, but it felt like an offer was coming to either Lebby or Sumrall on Saturday. That finally came through and as you know, Lebby signed the deal on Sunday and flew to Starkville to meet Mississippi State fans at the Bryan Air Field.
Over the course of my conversations with sources, I had a couple of people tell me that Selmon had a good idea about what he wanted to do from the beginning, but wanted to work through the process to ensure he found the best possible candidate for the job. He wanted to work through the search and be thorough. I believe he did that. One final comment, I was told by multiple sources that coaches and others connected to them were extremely impressed with Zac and how he handled things. They all said he was a true professional in all of their dealings with him.
The Coaching Search: Now That It's Over
Mississippi State hired Jeff Lebby, but what else happened behind the scenes before he was named head coach.
STEVE ROBERTSON43 minsVIP20As noted in the November 13th column What We Knew and We Knew It, the news about Coach Zach Arnett's termination was widely known behind the scenes even before the Bulldogs hit the road to Texas A&M. It was simply of matter of when Arnett would be relieved of his duties rather than if. I caught wind of some feelers out following the loss at Auburn. The Tuesday before the trip to College Station, I learned that Arnett was out, but when he would be let go was still a matter of speculation. The thought at the time was that he would have the chance to finish out the season. I asked, "What if we get embarrassed at Texas A&M by a third team quarterback?" The source told me that in that case all bets were off.
After that 51-10 debacle at the hands of the Aggies, it was apparent to anyone with a reasonable level of intelligence, that the season simply could not continue with Arnett at the helm. On that unexpected and scenic drive back from A&M through central Louisiana, the phone was busy. Dana, my wife, drove, so I could take calls and communicate with several sources via text. I learned that an announcement about Arnett's status was not coming that Sunday, but that something could break loose on Monday. It did.
Back to that Sunday. I was told prior to Arnett's dismissal that there had already been some chatter about UCF coach Guz Malzahn possibly having some interest in returning to the Southeastern Conference and that Mississippi State might be a fit. A contact close to the Malzahn family told me that there had been some discussion, but that they had not heard anything concrete. I was also told that day that Arkansas may in fact make a move and the expectation was that either Gus Malzahn or Barry Odom would likely be the next coach at Arkansas. The source told me not to count out Mississippi State should Gus decide to make a move. As you know, once Arkansas announced Sam Pittman was staying, Malzahn's name resurfaced. That lasted a couple of hours. I was told later that Gus would probably retire at UCF and that he was not looking to get back into the SEC fray after all.
I received another call about former Washington State head coach Nick Rolovich that Sunday. I was told that he had some interest in the job and that he planned to pursue it. I had another source share that Rolo believed the infrastructure to win right away was already in place and that he could pick up where Mike Leach left off. I understood that Nick liked Will Rogers and felt he could put together a good offense around him that featured a ton of Air Raid concepts with more of a commitment to the running game. Other than a few contacts from those people following up with me to hear if I had heard anything about Rolo in connection with the job, I didn't hear much at all. I was told that some close to Rolo reached out to some Mississippi State donors to see who he needed to contact to get his name in the race, but it never really went farther than that.
Jamey Chadwell of Liberty made a lot of sense to me in the beginning. I believe then and now that the offense he runs would attract some talented players to Starkville. To me, it made a lot of sense to pursue him. I learned that his buyout was much higher than some suggested, but he was the first name I asked about when I began working through the network of sources. I learned that Chadwell had received a call about the job, but said that he was not interested. As I used that nugget in the next round of calls, someone close to Chadwell told me not to give up on him just yet. His focus was on the season and the chances of a perfect season. This person also told me that Chadwell would not seriously entertain any offers until after the regular season was over and that he wanted to see his team through championship weekend at the very least. In the days that followed, I kept running into dead ends. When it was all said and done, I had 19 people tell me that Chadwell was not a candidate for the job and that he was content to keep winning big at Liberty and wait out a blue blood. I was finally told by a source close to him that he was tired of being asked about the job and wanted to know where the smoke was coming from. I told him I wasn't sure and that everyone I had spoken to told me State just wasn't a fit for him right now. The person said, "Your sources are correct."
Willie Fritz of Tulane was the big name the first week of the search. I almost felt like people were pushing him on me. It seemed everyone I talked to had heard Fritz's name associated with the search. Many of those same sources said the talk among agents was that State would hire a sitting head coach who could bring his staff with him and get right to work. I was told that Fritz was intrigued by the possibilities and that he was going to give it some thought. I later learned that he was hoping that Houston would come calling. His daughter is there and I was told that his next stop would be his last stop. One source suggested that State needed to get someone who was ascending rather than a coach on the tail end of his career. After Fritz talked with State officials early last week, I never heard him mentioned again. What is interesting is that one source said that Mississippi State's new coach would be coaching on Friday and to look for possible leaks after the game. Of course, both Tulane and Oklahoma played on that Friday.
Barry Odom of UNLV was a guy who looked to be on the outside looking in at the beginning of the process. Odom or some close to him called several people within the Mississippi State network to express his interest in the job. As one source said, "Odom is politicking hard behind the scenes". It took a while, but I finally started hearing that his name had gained some traction and that he was expected to interview. In the end, that face to face interview never happened. I am not sure if it was Odom or State's call, but I was told last weekend that he was out and that he may elect to pursue the job at Houston that we all knew was about to come open.
I had a couple of sources tell me from the outset to watch G.J. Kinne as a candidate, but that they felt he was a bit of a long shot to get it. He did speak with Mississippi State officials. I was told after that conversation that he was excited about it all, but that he did not expect to get the job. Look for Kinne to be a hot name next year once the silly season begins. He has a lot of believers out there in the agent world.
It is interesting that the chatter about the Carolinas never really took off. I heard Mike Elko of Duke and Dave Doeren's name mentioned by a couple of people on one day. By the next day both names had faded. While some continued to mention Elko in connection with the search in the final days, he was out already. Things never really took off with either guy. One source suggested to me that their agents were simply using the attention to get them both better deals. In the end, Elko went to A&M which is where many people predicted at the beginning of their search.
The one name from the Carolinas that cause some anxiety with me was Shane Beamer. From the first day of the search, I had some people tell me that it was a no-brainer for Selmon to pursue Beamer considering how close they are. One source even shared that the two take family vacations together. I doubted that it would ever happen, but last week I was nearly convinced that it was going to happen. Monday night, I had multiple sources sharing that they believed things were brewing. We even wrote a story just to be prepared. On Tuesday, I spoke to a pair of sources who set me straight and said that it wasn't going to happen. Later in the week, I had an agent friend tell me that Beamer should seriously consider State and that he had passed that along to some close to Shane. It was the last I heard of it, but it made for some good message board discussion.
Rhett Lashlee of SMU got some early mentions in the media, but not much was shared in my discussions with sources. I was told he was happy there at SMU and that one day he might take an SEC job, but that he was not looking to make a move this year. One agent told me that Lashlee should have received a bigger raise in his most recent extension and that with SMU heading to the ACC that he deserved more. He felt that his name being associated with the job had more to do with the business side of football rather than any actual interest in the State job.
Jon Sumrall of Troy was in the discussion even before Arnett was terminated. I spoke to a handful of people close to Sumrall who said that he wanted the job and wanted to know what he needed to do be a serious candidate for the gig. On Friday night, in the midst of all of the Lebby smoke, one source informed me that Sumrall had multiple discussions with Mississippi State officials about the position and that he was very much in the thick of things. The Saturday that Troy played Southern Miss, I was told that Selmon has texted with Sumrall that morning. One source suggested I watch the game as there might be a mention of the possibility of Sumrall getting the Mississippi State job. By the end of the day, that flame had been extinguished. I learned later that with the Mark Stoops flirtations with Texas A&M that some connected to Kentucky wanted Sumrall to head to Lexington if Stoops followed through and accepted the job at A&M.
Then there was Lebby. From day one, I was told if State hired a coordinator that it was going to be Jeff Lebby. Glen Schumann's name was passed on to me by a handful of people, but I was later told that it was the product of good agent work rather than any serious interest from State. Lebby's name was always connected to the search and the Friday before he was hired it was everywhere. I confirmed through a couple of sources that no deal had been extended and no offer made, but it felt like an offer was coming to either Lebby or Sumrall on Saturday. That finally came through and as you know, Lebby signed the deal on Sunday and flew to Starkville to meet Mississippi State fans at the Bryan Air Field.
Over the course of my conversations with sources, I had a couple of people tell me that Selmon had a good idea about what he wanted to do from the beginning, but wanted to work through the process to ensure he found the best possible candidate for the job. He wanted to work through the search and be thorough. I believe he did that. One final comment, I was told by multiple sources that coaches and others connected to them were extremely impressed with Zac and how he handled things. They all said he was a true professional in all of their dealings with him.
