This 30-year-old has become one of the hottest offensive coordinators on the job market

It's early, but this job cycle has already seen one Gen Z Texan secure a premier offensive coordinator role when Ben Arbuckle, a 29-year-old from Canadian, Texas, landed the Oklahoma offensive coordinator job after two seasons at Washington State. 

We're close to seeing another, as Texas State offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich has factored into multiple Power 4 offensive coordinator opportunities.

Leftwich, 30, is the son of longtime college offensive line coach Spencer Leftwich. He was born in Denton, Texas, at the beginning of his father's 9-year run coaching North Texas's offensive line. Future moves took him to Tulsa, back to North Texas, back to Tulsa, and then to Pitt where Mack graduated from North Allegheny High School in suburban Pittsburgh. 

The younger Leftwich followed his father to UTEP, where Mack played quarterback and Spencer coached the O-line. (Here's betting Mack Leftwich remains the only player UTEP's ever signed from Wexford, Pa.) Injuries ended his playing career a year early, which accelerated his move into the family business. 

After spending his senior year of 2016 as a student assistant at UTEP, Leftwich took a Texas high school coaching job in 2017 before landing a GA role at Incarnate Word in 2018. This led to the most important connection of Leftwich's young career, though it happened by accident.

Leftwich joined an UIW staff led by Eric Morris. After one year as a GA, Leftwich coached quarterbacks for Morris from 2019-21, which is where he identified a small-town quarterback from a Wing T offense by the name of Cam Ward to be the Cardinals' quarterback for the class of 2020.

Ward's success earned Morris the offensive coordinator job at Washington State, and Leftwich a promotion. When Morris left for Pullman, new UIW head coach GJ Kinne made Leftwich his offensive coordinator. 

Incarnate Word reached the FCS semifinals in what turned out to be Kinne's only season at the school. When Kinne landed the Texas State job, he brought Leftwich along as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Though the Bobcats run Kinne's offense, Leftwich calls the plays.

“I want Mack to be the best offensive coordinator in the country. I want him to score every time, and I hope every play he calls is the best. He does a great job with those guys, and, for me, we have a great relationship," Kinne said before his first game at Texas State. "I don’t want to breathe down his neck, so to say. Let’s give him some freedom. You got to let those guys do it. If you hire them, let them do it.”

Texas State hadn't reached a bowl game in a decade of FBS membership before Kinne's hiring, but has since gone 2-for-2. This year's team ranks 21st nationally in yards per play (6.48), 14th in passing efficiency (155.74), and 11th in scoring (37.1 points per game).

Now, Leftwich is arguably the most in-demand name on the Power 4 coordinator market. Sources tell FootballScoop he's been a person of interest in the offensive coordinator searches at Arizona, Houston, Texas Tech, Utah and possibly others. 

Its safe to say the man has options. FootballScoop sources say look for a decision soon enough. 

As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.

Update> Texas Tech pulled the trigger and got this one done.