Who is Steve Campbell and what is his role with Mississippi State football, Zach Arnett?
STARKVILLE — When Mississippi State football’s Zach Arnett takes the sideline on Saturday (8 p.m., ESPN) to face Alabama (3-1, 1-0 SEC), his director of high school relations Steve Campbell will be roaming nearby.
As has been the case throughout the season, Campbell will stand alongside Arnett with a folder in hand. So, what’s his role during competition?
“He handles some of the analytics – the situational stuff that you have real nuanced and detailed analytics on,” Arnett said. “Whether it be timeout usage or (on) fourth down what yard is it maybe a statistical advantage to go for it as opposed to punt it versus take a penalty and gain five more yards for your punt team or field goal. The book that everyone references that’s kind of taken over football, he kind of oversees that. We converse from time to time over what the analytics say.”
Campbell returned to MSU (2-2, 0-2) to join Arnett’s staff in February. He is a former center who played at Southeastern Louisiana and Troy in the mid-1980s.
He started his path toward coaching as a graduate assistant at Auburn (1988-1989). He held stints at Nicholls State (offensive coordinator), Southwest Mississippi Community College (running backs), Delta State (head coach) and Middle Tennessee (offensive coordinator) before being hired as Mississippi State’s offensive line coach in 2003.
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He was hired as the coach at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in March 2004 where he remained until 2013. He then spent four seasons (2014-17) as coach of Central Arkansas and three years (2018-20) in the same role at South Alabama.
Arnett, as a first-year head coach, emphasized throughout the offseason the importance of hiring people with experience in his shoes. Campbell’s presence during games is evidence of that approach.
Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Steve Campbell's role with Mississippi State football explained
