Sources: Zach Arnett, Mississippi State closing in on veteran SEC coordinator, O-line coach
Zach Arnett appears to have his offensive coordinator – and his offensive line coach.
It’s a pair of highly regarded coaches with deep-reaching Southeastern Conference ties, too.
Multiple sources tell FootballScoop that Arnett is targeting Mike Bobo, working to finalize a deal, and Will Friend to run the Bulldogs’ offense and coach their offensive line, respectively.
No deal is completed with Bobo, but the two sides are deep in discussions. Bobo is a senior offensive analyst at Georgia, which faces TCU Monday night for the College Football Playoff championship.
Friend’s addition to the Bulldogs’ staff already is confirmed, per multiple sources. He was in Starkville, Mississippi, at the MSU football offices Friday, per sources.
A veteran offensive play-caller who rose to national notoriety at the University of Georgia, where he also starred as a quarterback, Bobo has been a head coach at the Football Bowls Subdivision level at Colorado State and coordinated SEC offenses at Georgia and Auburn, among other stops.
Bobo hardly is the only potential play-caller to have discussions with Arnett. Kendal Briles was a top Bulldogs' target, per sources, until Briles agreed to terms on a new deal with Arkansas and elected to remain atop the Razorbacks' offense. Texas Tech's Zach Kittley and Ole Miss passing game coordinator John David Baker, both coaches viewed as among college football's top young offensive minds, also had been vetted by Arnett and the Bulldogs, per sources.
Friend has coached at numerous college programs in the South, including Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee; he’s a former starting offensive lineman at Alabama.
Earlier this week, Friend had reportedly agreed to join Ryan Silverfield’s University of Memphis staff as the Tigers’ offensive line coach, but he’s long been extremely close friends with Bobo and also has the deep ties to coaching and recruiting in the SEC.
