Potential Replacement On Staff
If Tony White were to take the job at UCLA, FSU may have a built-in replacement in the form of defensive analyst Zach Arnette. Arnette comes from the same coaching tree as Tony White under Rocky Long, and Arnette played for White at New Mexico State when White was the linebackers coach there.
He runs the same 3-3-5 scheme, but can be ultra-aggressive. FSU hired Arnette as a defensive analyst not long after he resigned from his job as defensive coordinator at UNLV.
Arnette was a defensive coordinator at San Diego State for two years before moving to the SEC in the same role for Mississippi State. He remained in that role for two years before replacing Mike Leach as the head coach after he got sick.
I’m not sure Arnette would be my first choice, but he’s already at FSU continuing to learn under Tony White. He runs a scheme that Mike Norvell believes is difficult to prepare for, and he is only 39 years old. If Mike Norvell promoted him to defensive coordinator?
I’d have to believe he thinks Arnette would excel at the job because he knows he can’t afford another fall from grace because of a bad hire.