Why Mississippi State football coaching hire is crucial for athletic director Zac Selmon

STARKVILLE — When Zac Selmon was introduced in January as Mississippi State’s athletic director, the talking points were vast. He discussed NIL. He talked about athletes excelling in the classroom. He touched on the importance of the Bulldog Club. He stressed the importance of winning the right way.

But whether it’s fair or not, his first stint leading an athletic department, especially in the SEC, will be defined by one thing: His success in hiring football coaches.

His first test is imminent after Mississippi State (4-6, 1-6 SEC) fired coach Zach Arnett on Monday, launching the start of a national search with two games still to play in the regular season.

“You always go into a search open-minded,” Selmon told reporters Monday. “I don’t want to say it’s got to be an offensive person or a defensive person or has to be a sitting head coach. I think what you do look for is you look for winning qualities – somebody who’s got winning traits.”

“You know when you’ve got winning DNA,” he later added. “I don’t want to pigeonhole where we’re at. You clearly want somebody that can built culture.”

Selmon hasn’t made a decision of this magnitude before, but he believes his experience has prepared him for it.

He was a tight end at Wake Forest who has worked his way up in college athletics through the administrative side – highlighted by more than a decade spent working under Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione.

“My dad had a construction company growing up,” Selmon said. “He’d always look at my eyes and say, ‘Are they still soft or do they’ve got scars on them?’ I think over my tenure in this business, if you look at my hands, they’re pretty scarred up. That’s a testament for the people I used to work for and work with. I have experience at every level and at every position, every sport. I feel really prepared and understand that we’ve done this at two prior institutions I’ve been at.”

Not only will the choice be attached to Selmon, but it also carries weight in a crucial time for Mississippi State.

The Bulldogs, barring wins against Southern Miss and Ole Miss, are at risk of missing a bowl game for the first time since 2009. Not only has MSU struggled under Arnett, but the program has often looked overpowered in a year where its biggest rival − Ole Miss − entered last week still in the College Football Playoff discussion.

“When necessary, it’s my responsibility to correct areas where we’re falling short,” Selmon said. “It has become clear that we need a shift in leadership, so therefore we must act.”

MOVING ON: Why Zac Selmon fired Mississippi State football's Zach Arnett before season ended

While divisions are going away, the SEC is adding a pair of teams in Texas and Oklahoma which claim 11 combined national titles. Instead of 12 teams ahead of Mississippi State in recruiting rankings for the 2024 class, there are now 14. The lone team behind MSU is Missouri, which sits at 8-2 and has a five-star committed.

Arnett claimed Mississippi State was a program that could compete to make the expanded CFP – leaning on evidence such as the Bulldogs appearance at No. 1 in the first rankings of the playoff era.

It’s clear that Selmon believes Arnett couldn’t attain those goals. It’s on Selmon to find a replacement who can.

“As we look forward, we know our best days are ahead of Mississippi State,” Selmon said.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @skrajisnik3.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State football: Coaching hire is crucial for Zac Selmon