"We Are Going To Try And Win The State Title:" Greg Knox Will Coach For The Remainder Of The Season

For the remainder of the 2023-2024 season, Greg Knox will coach the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Although the search has begun for a new head coach, Mississippi State athletic director Zac Selmon announced during the press conference on Monday that Interim head coach Greg Knox will take the lead for the last two games.

Here is his opening statement from the press conference on Monday, about the decision that Zach Arnett will no longer be the head coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs

"I want to first say thank you to Dr. Keenum. Thank Director Mr. Selmon. For giving me this opportunity. I'd like to thank Coach Arnett, who gave me an opportunity to come back to what me and my family have always called our second home. Excited to be here excited for this opportunity," he said.

"I can't be Zach Arnett, I'm going to be me. And so that's the statement I got to try to get across to the kids the same guy they've been seeing every, they want to continue to see."

With his style of coaching, and his current position being the interim coach, his observations of the team this season will give him an advantage of seeing what works and what needs to be tweaked over the next 10 days.

However, after the sudden release of information Monday morning, putting Knox at the head of team gives little time to fully prepare the team with a new coach at the head. 

"For me, as the interim head coach, I talked to the staff this morning and again, we're going to go out and be who we are, you know, and I want the coaches to understand that just go out and be yourself. Don't try to be anyone different."

His emphasis on playing and coaching as yourself instead of anyone else will guard him from trying to meet the expectations of a salaried head coach, and instead, do his part well to get the job done.

"An athlete  is that name on the front of the shirt and the name on the back. That name on the back is what you carry the rest of your life. And so people will remember that name and also the name on the front is what you attach to you're attached to. That gives you a platform and they want the front does. And so having that platform you represent that platform."

While major changes can't be made, Knox, who was twice been an interim coach before, plans to carry out what Arnett was trying to build in terms of to toughness.

"I think that Zach did a great job. I talked to him this morning. We had a brief conversation and we talked about I told him I appreciate the things he did on trying to instill the toughness in this program back into it." Knox said. "Again, I was here for nine years and to come back and be a part of the program again, I saw where he really really dedicated himself to the toughness of this program. That's how his program was built on toughness."

Knox added that senior linebacker Jett Johnson was a good example. He's been a leader on the Bulldogs, who will wrap up the regular season against Southern Miss and Ole Miss, and need to beat both to be bowl eligible. 

"Those guys are very important. You know, they're, they're what we call our leadership council. And I'm gonna be with those guys today. And again, they're the backbone of his team, you know, and the things they do and the things they say. They carry big words with them. Jett has been a leader ever since I've had the chance to know him and get to know him and watching them watch how he plays why and how he carries himself. That's impressive. And that's what I expect to see from every board on the way you carry yourself the way you go to work every day. And when you come prepare effort in attitude you bring that's what we expect to see as a staff."

Zach Arnett Fired as Mississippi State Head Football Coach