Former FBS head coaches Steve Campbell and Joey Jones are among a trio of key off-field hires to Zach Arnett's re-made Mississippi State staff, the school announced Friday.
Campbell will be State's director of high school relations, and Jones its director of player personnel.
Mississippi State also announced that Jason Washington, who spent three years on Mike Leach's State staff as safeties coach and running backs coach, has been retained as director of player development.
Ironically, Campbell and Jones both served as head coaches at South Alabama.
Jones led the program from 2008-17, shepherding the program from FCS to FBS membership, while Campbell took over the Jags' program from 2018-20.
The pair has combined for 19 seasons as a head coach at the FBS level, and 47 seasons of head coaching experience in total -- a valuable asset for Arnett, who had never served as a head coach at any level before he was named the late Leach's successor.
Campbell was also the head coach at Southwest Mississippi Junior College, Delta State, Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College, and Central Arkansas. Jones spent 13 years as the head coach at two Alabama high schools, and two seasons as the head coach at Birmingham-Southern.
Beyond that, both men served as Mississippi State assistant coaches in previous stints. Campbell was State's offensive line coach in 2003, and Jones spent two seasons as the special teams coordinator following his South Alabama head coaching tenure.
All three men should serve as invaluable resources in helping Arnett navigate the pitfalls of being an SEC head coach and also open doors for him and the staff on the recruiting trail.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.