College Football's Lost Weekend: Heads Rolled At Miss. State, Texas A&M After Playing, Boise State Coach, Penn State OC Out - New Coach Candidates Here

The college football weekend started with one of the biggest suspensions in the game's history at Michigan.

It ended with head coaches at Mississippi State and Texas A&M - Zach Arnett and Jimbo Fisher, respectively - getting fired a day after playing one another in Starkville, Mississippi. That may have never happened before in college football, particularly within 48 hours of the final gun - literally for both. There have been players traded to the opponent in between doubleheaders in Major League Baseball, and this was as wild.

Boise State also fired head coach Andy Avalos.

College Football's Lost Weekend Of Coaching Turnover

And while the nation focused on No. 3 Michigan winning at No. 10 Penn State on Saturday without suspended head coach Jim Harbaugh, little did most everyone know what was going down on the other sideline. Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich called his last game for the Nittany Lions. Penn State fired him on Sunday as well in this Lost Weekend, which rivaled any Black Monday - the first day after the regular season ends in the NFL.

Zach Arnett (right) found the shoes of Mississippi State coach Mike Leach (center) hard to fill. Arnett became head coach after last season following the death of Leach of a heart attack. (Getty Images)

And there are likely several more to come in college football as the regular season still has three weeks to go. Struggling Arkansas coach Sam Pittman may be next.

Mississippi State Coach Zach Arnett Was Not Ready

Arnett, 37, never seemed quite ready to replace offensive genius and magnanimous personality Mike Leach, who died last December 12 of a heart attack at just 61. He had served under Leach as defensive coordinator for three seasons.

Arnett struggled from the outset and fell to 4-6 on the season and 1-6 in the Southeastern Conference with an embarrassing, 51-10 loss to Texas A&M at home on Saturday. His first mistake was abandoning Leach's revolutionary pass offense even though he still had star quarterback Will Rogers.

Leach had put together two winning seasons and an electrifying offense after going 4-7 in his first season. He won consistently in previous stops at Texas Tech and Washington State.

Coach Zach Arnett's Offense Struggled At Mississippi State

"As part of my thorough and continued evaluation, I have determined that a change in leadership is necessary to move our football program forward and position it for the highest level of success," Mississippi State athletic director Zac Selmon said Monday. "I have the utmost respect for Zach Arnett and am incredibly appreciative of the effort he put forth in leading our program. However, the progress and on-field results have not been of the standard required for Mississippi State to achieve the level of success we need and expect."

One coach's Lost Weekend is another's Job Fair.

Mississippi State New Coach Candidates List

Among the possible candidates to replace Arnett at Mississippi State are:

-Former Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen, who has been out of coaching since Florida fired him late in the 2021 season.

-Jacksonville State coach Rich Rodriguez, a journeyman, former big time, up-and-down head coach previously at Glenville State, West Virginia, Michigan and Arizona.

-Texas A&M offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, another journeyman, former big time, up-and-down head coach. Petrino won at Arkansas and Louisville - two new programs not accustomed to that a lot before his arrival. He briefly was the Atlanta Falcons head coach as well. He just got bypassed for the interim post at Texas A&M, where he should be considered for the head coaching job.

-Georgia co-defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. Yes, he is also a journeyman, former big time, up-and-down head coach at Florida and South Carolina.

-Georgia co-defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann, who with Muschamp has put together one of the best defenses in the nation for years now.

-Liberty coach Jamey Chadwell, who followed Hugh Freeze - now Auburn's head coach.

-Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, who knows Mississippi and offense as he was Ole Miss' offensive coordinator under Lane Kiffin.

-Tulane coach Willie Fritz, who is winning consistently at a program that has rarely ever won consistently.

Among others are Troy coach Jon Sumrall and SMU coach Rhett Lashlee.

Texas A&M New Coach Candidates' List

And here is the list for Texas A&M. While Mississippi State was more coach, as in flights, this is more first class because of the available oil money the Aggies can still throw around even as it owes $76 million in walk-away money for Fisher.

Jimbo Fisher is out of work, but he will be making $76 million through his contract buyout. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

-Duke coach Mike Elko, who was Texas A&M's defensive coordinator from 2018-21. Elko is one of the hottest coaches in the nation right now and may be the Aggies' top target.

-Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin. He already makes $8.75 million, but A&M can match that and more despite what it still has to pay Jimbo Fisher. Kiffin is not a great recruiter, and recruiting is easier at Texas A&M with all the NIL money available. At least that's what Kiffin is always saying. Now, he can put A&M's money where his mouth is.

-Washington coach Kalen DeBoer. He has a better job than A&M now, except for money. He is making only $4.2 million, which will soon be the price of a coordinator in Money Station, aka College Station, Texas.

-Penn State coach James Franklin. Also has a better job now and is making $8.5 million, but he may be looking. He hasn't quite done as well as many, including himself likely, thought he would with the Nittany Lions.

Jimbo Fisher Possible Replacements An Impressive List

-TCU coach Sonny Dykes. It could be viewed that he already has a better job as well. He just took TCU to the national championship game last year and is making $7.5 million a year. A Big Spring, Texas, native, though. Who knows? Maybe he might like to take a look.

-Kansas State coach Chris Kliemann could take a step up in level of program and pay grade.

-Kansas coach Lance Leipold is in the same situation at Kliemann. He's in Kansas.

-Texas-San Antonio coach Jeff Traylor. A rising coach with Texas ties as he is a native of Gilmer and previously was an assistant at Texas and SMU.

-Texas A&M offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino (see above).

Michigan Coach Jim Harbaugh Got Off Light In Lost Weekend

And we thought this was a tough week for Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh. He only got suspended, and only for regular season games. He went back to coaching Michigan on Monday and could win a temporary restraining order against the Big Ten's suspension of him on Friday, so he can coach Saturday at Maryland.

Over this weekend, a suspension was a walk in the park.