Jeff,
I’m going to be completely direct with you.
Effective immediately, you are no longer the head football coach at Mississippi State. This is final.
When I hired you, I believed you were the guy who could finally get this program competing in the SEC. I gave you time, resources, staff autonomy, and portal support. After two-plus seasons, this is the result:
11-22 overall
3-19 in the SEC.
That record is not competitive, and the underlying problems go deeper than just the win-loss column.
The program still lacks physicality and toughness when it matters. Too many games we get pushed around at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. The offense has been inconsistent and often stagnant against SEC defenses — unable to sustain drives, finish in the red zone, or protect the football in critical moments. The defense has repeatedly given up big plays and failed to get stops when the game is on the line. Situational football has been a consistent weakness: third downs, two-minute drills, and closing out games.
Culture and accountability have also fallen short. The same issues show up week after week with little visible correction. Late-season collapses have become a pattern. When the schedule toughens and the pressure rises in October and November, this team has repeatedly folded. That is not a one-year problem — it has defined the tenure.
Recruiting and roster building have not produced the sustained talent edge needed to compete in this conference. Development of players already on the roster has not closed the gap fast enough. Special teams and overall discipline have been uneven at best. The program has not established a clear identity that travels or holds up against better competition.
I no longer believe this staff is capable of fixing these problems at the speed required. Waiting another year and hoping for a sudden turnaround is not something I’m willing to do. This program has already spent too much time spinning its wheels under your leadership.
You’ll be paid according to the terms of your contract. The university will handle the rest of the separation process. I expect full cooperation and a clean exit.
This is about results and standards. Under your leadership we have not won enough, we have not competed hard enough in the SEC, and the core aspects of the program — physicality, consistency, situational execution, culture, and sustained progress — have not met the level this university demands. That is why you’re done.
Zac
I’m going to be completely direct with you.
Effective immediately, you are no longer the head football coach at Mississippi State. This is final.
When I hired you, I believed you were the guy who could finally get this program competing in the SEC. I gave you time, resources, staff autonomy, and portal support. After two-plus seasons, this is the result:
11-22 overall
3-19 in the SEC.
That record is not competitive, and the underlying problems go deeper than just the win-loss column.
The program still lacks physicality and toughness when it matters. Too many games we get pushed around at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. The offense has been inconsistent and often stagnant against SEC defenses — unable to sustain drives, finish in the red zone, or protect the football in critical moments. The defense has repeatedly given up big plays and failed to get stops when the game is on the line. Situational football has been a consistent weakness: third downs, two-minute drills, and closing out games.
Culture and accountability have also fallen short. The same issues show up week after week with little visible correction. Late-season collapses have become a pattern. When the schedule toughens and the pressure rises in October and November, this team has repeatedly folded. That is not a one-year problem — it has defined the tenure.
Recruiting and roster building have not produced the sustained talent edge needed to compete in this conference. Development of players already on the roster has not closed the gap fast enough. Special teams and overall discipline have been uneven at best. The program has not established a clear identity that travels or holds up against better competition.
I no longer believe this staff is capable of fixing these problems at the speed required. Waiting another year and hoping for a sudden turnaround is not something I’m willing to do. This program has already spent too much time spinning its wheels under your leadership.
You’ll be paid according to the terms of your contract. The university will handle the rest of the separation process. I expect full cooperation and a clean exit.
This is about results and standards. Under your leadership we have not won enough, we have not competed hard enough in the SEC, and the core aspects of the program — physicality, consistency, situational execution, culture, and sustained progress — have not met the level this university demands. That is why you’re done.
Zac
