Mississippi State appoint Mike Leach's successor following his shock death from a heart attack at 61

In the wake of the shocking death of former Mississippi State head football coach Mike Leach, the school has agreed terms with defensive coordinator Zach Arnett to become the team's next head coach.   

The 36-year-old Arnett has been the team's defensive coordinator/linebackers coach since he joined the program in 2020. He was initially named interim coach when Leach was first hospitalized, in the wake of a 'massive heart attack'.

Mississippi State finished the season 8-4 and have decided to still play in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Illinois on January 2nd, 2023.

Zach Arnett (R) has agreed to become the new head coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs

Leach died at 61 years old this week following complications from a heart attack he suffered

Arnett once played linebacker at the University of New Mexico, and after following the completion of his playing career Arnett began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at San Diego State under his New Mexico coach Rocky Long.

He was promoted and named Aztecs' linebackers coach from 2014 to 2017 before being named the defensive coordinator from 2018 to 2019. 

After eventually joining Leach's staff at Mississippi State the Bulldogs went 19-17, while winning the 2020 Armed Forces Bowl and losing the 2021 Liberty Bowl.

The video board at Davis Wade Stadium displays a message in memory of Leach on Tuesday 

The world of football paid tribute to Leach following the tragic news of his death on Tuesday

While Arnett tries to continue the legacy left on by Leach, the impact he had on both his team but the sport of college football as a whole will certainly be missed.

Six of the 20 best passing seasons in major college football history were by quarterbacks who played for Leach, including four of the top six.

His Air Raid offense revolutionized the game and is currently one of the most mimicked styles of offense around the sport, while also seeing principles of the offense integrated into NFL schemes.

He also has one of the most extensive coaching trees in the sport with coaches like Southern California's Lincoln Riley; TCU's Sonny Dykes; Tennessee's Josh Heupel; Baylor's Dave Aranda; Houston's Dana Holgorsen; West Virginia's Neal Brown; Louisiana Tech's Sonny Cumbie; and Kliff Kingsbury of the Arizona Cardinals.

Arnett and the Bulldogs will surely hope he can add his name to that list sooner rather than later.