Arnett getting $67,800 for analyst role
Former MSU coach is one of 12 analysts for Kiffin
OXFORD — Former Mississippi State football coach Zach Arnett will earn $67,800 from Ole Miss while serving as an analyst during the 2024 season, according to public records obtained by the Clarion Ledger.
Fired by the Bulldogs last November before he could complete his first season, he was hired by Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin to join his group of analysts in March.
“It’s people that we think are really knowledgeable in the conference and as coaches in general to add to our staff,” Kiffin said shortly after appointing Arnett. “This was a really good fit that way. He came down, met with myself, met with (Pete) Golding. Excited to put him in the defensive room, especially with conference knowledge, and so it should be really good.”
Because Ole Miss and Mississippi State use their athletic foundations to block public access to contracts and other documents, definitive details of Arnett’s severance are unknown.
His state contract entitles him to 50% of his remaining salary at the time of termination. It also obligates him to mitigate those payments by making his “best efforts” to find employment elsewhere. It is unclear if Arnett’s contract with Mississippi State’s athletic foundation – The Bulldog Club – abides by the same terms because it is not publicly available.
Ole Miss has 12 analysts on staff. Salaries are publicly available for 11 of them – the exception being Monte Kiffin, Lane Kiffin’s father, who is considered an employee of the Ole Miss Athletic Foundation.
Of the 11, Arnett’s salary is the fifthhighest. The other salaries are listed below:
● Matt Kitchens: $105,000
● Cam Aiken: $82,000
● Lou Spanos: $78,623
● Patrick Carter: $78,623
● Zach Arnett: $67,800
● Enrique Davis: $67,697
● William Vlachos: $60,000
● Brandon Deaderick: $55,000
● Fisher Ray: $55,000
● Kody Schexnayder: $55,000
● Joe Judge: $35,700
That brings the total compensation for analysts at Ole Miss to $742,243 plus Monte Kiffin’s salary.
Senior Associate Athletic Director for Finance Angela Robinson told the Clarion Ledger in January that Ole Miss works to keep Kiffin’s support staff budget above the median in the SEC.
Kiffin described his approach to his analyst roles as a “two-way street,” something he said he learned from former Alabama coach Nick Saban.
“You give people opportunities and they get to come learn from you,” Kiffin said.
David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.
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