| Year: | 2022 |
| Team: | Mississippi State Bulldogs |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Southeastern Conference |
| Division: | Western Division |
| Short Conf: | SEC |
| Coachrank: | 19 |
| Aprank: | 20 |
| Record: | 9–4 |
| Conf Record: | 4–4 |
| Head Coach: | Mike Leach |
| Hc Year: | 3rd |
| Hc Games: | regular season |
| Head Coach2: | Zach Arnett |
| Hc Games2: | bowl game |
| Off Scheme: | Air Raid |
| Def Coach: | Zach Arnett |
| Dc Year: | 3rd |
| Def Scheme: | 3–3–5 |
| Champion: | ReliaQuest Bowl champion |
| Bowl: | ReliaQuest Bowl |
| Bowl Result: | W 19–10 vs. Illinois |
The 2022 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University in the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulldogs played their home games at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi, and compete in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by third-year head coach Mike Leach through the regular season, with Zach Arnett taking over for the team’s bowl appearance after Leach's death in December 2022.
In October 2022, 19-year-old freshman offensive lineman Samuel Westmoreland, from Tupelo, Mississippi, committed suicide.[1] Mississippi State honored Westmoreland with helmet stickers and by painting his initials and number on Scott Field.[2]
On December 11, Leach was hospitalized in critical condition, and Arnett was elevated to interim head coach.[3] [4] Practice for the Bulldogs ahead of the 2023 ReliaQuest Bowl and recruiting, was scheduled to continue as normal.[5] Leach died in the evening of December 12, with Mississippi State announcing the news in a statement the following morning.[6] [7] Following the death of Leach, Arnett was made the permanent head coach.[8]
Mississippi State and the SEC announced the 2022 football schedule on September 21, 2021.[9] [10]
| Name | Position | |
|---|---|---|
| Head coach (regular season) | ||
| Tony Hughes | Associate head coach & nickelbacks coach | |
| Head Coach (bowl game), defensive coordinator & linebackers coach | ||
| Matt Brock | Special teams coordinator & outside linebackers coach | |
| Cornerbacks coach | ||
| Eric Mele | Running backs coach | |
| Mason Miller | Offensive line coach | |
| Dave Nichol | Inside receivers coach | |
| Jeff Phelps | Defensive line coach | |
| Outside receivers coach | ||
| Safeties coach | ||
| Head strength and conditioning coach |
See also: 2023 NFL draft.
| 1 | 16 | CB | Washington Commanders | ||
| 4 | 123 | DT | Seattle Seahawks |