College football coaching rumors: Top 5 storylines after Jimbo Fisher and Zach Arnett got fired

Texas A&M and Mississippi State were led by Jimbo Fisher and Zach Arnett respectively when they came up against each other on Saturday in a Week 11 matchup. In a dramatic turn of events, both coaches have lost their jobs by Monday.

The dismissal of the two coaches is fast leading to some storylines within the college football world, especially in the Southeastern Conference. In this article, we take a look at five storylines flying around following the exit of Fisher and Arnett from their programs.

#1, Jimbo Fisher’s firing spurred Zach Arnett's dismissal

Texas A&M defeated Mississippi State 51-10 in their Week 11 matchup on Saturday. Despite the win, the Aggies announced they had parted ways with Jimbo Fisher the following day.

This development is believed among college football analysts to have given the Bulldogs a good reason to relieve Zach Arnett of his duty as head coach. It made the program start to question its ambition after seeing a team it lost to a day before taking swift action on its future.

#2, Deion Sanders to the SEC

Deion Sanders' first season as Colorado's head coach hasn't gone so well, but the former Dallas Cowboys cornerback was able to make waves in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Despite his struggle this season, Deion Sanders has been muted as a potential successor to Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M. ESPN analyst Steven A. Smith talked about it in a recent episode of "Get Up" on Monday. However, Deion Sanders doesn't seem ready to leave Boulder yet.

#3, Urban Meyer’s return to college football

After Urban Meyer left his job at Ohio State at the end of the 2018 season, it was believed that the coach was retiring from coaching. However, he went up to take an NFL job in 2021. But after a poor showing in football's top-flight, he quickly lost his job as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

This has led to talks of a potential return to college football, as a number of openings continue to surface. He's been linked with the Michigan State job earlier after the firing of Mel Tucker. He is now also in the frame to replace Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M, marking a return to the SEC.

#4, Mississippi State to transition back to offensive-minded coach

Mississippi State transitioned to a defensive mind by hiring Zach Arnett in 2022. He ended a streak of three consecutive offensive-minded coaches for the Bulldogs, namely Dan Mullen, Joe Moorhead and Mike Leach.

However, it appears the program is ready to make a return to an offensive mind. Notably, the Bulldogs never had defensive issues under Arnett but the offense only averaged 21.4 points per game.

#5, Texas A&M to go for an elite coach

Texas A&M holds the ambition to be a contender in college football and this is evident in the decision to fire Jimbo Fisher despite having to pay the $76 million left on his contract.

Analysts believe they could become a force to reckon with if a brilliant coach comes on board. This is one reason the program is aiming to bring in a top coach. Names like Urban Meyer, Mike Norvell, Dan Lanning, Mike Elko and a host of others have been muted as Fisher's replacement.