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FSU adds veteran defensive coach Zach Arnett to Tony White's staff

On3 imageby: Ira Schoffel06/11/25iraschoffel
Hi Jenks (3)
Photo: Matt LaSerre / Warchant

Florida State has added veteran college coach Zach Arnett to its staff as a defensive analyst, On3’s Pete Nakos has confirmed.

Like FSU defensive coordinator Tony White, Arnett started his career in coaching under Rocky Long. Arnett served as a graduate assistant under Long at San Diego State in 2011 after playing linebacker at New Mexico in the late-2000s.

Arnett worked his way up to a position coach and then defensive coordinator at San Diego State before taking the same role at Mississippi State in 2020. He eventually was named head coach at Mississippi State after Mike Leach’s passing, and he remained in that role until late in the 2023 season.

Arnett served as an analyst at Ole Miss in 2024 and then was hired to be defensive coordinator at UNLV following that season but resigned in April due to personal reasons.

White played and coached under Rocky Long and is implementing Long’s 3-3-5 defensive system at Florida State.

Here is Arnett’s bio from the Mississippi State website. The news was first reported by Noles247.

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