Ankeny native Paul Rhoads is headed back to the SEC.
The former Iowa State head football coach has been hired as a defensive analyst by Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby, who is making some changes to his staff after guiding the Bulldogs to a 2-10 record in his first season at the school.
“Yes, I do,” Rhoads told Ankeny Fanatic when asked if he still had an itch to coach in college. “Especially when I believe I can bring value to the program.”
Rhoads previously coached in the SEC at Auburn and Arkansas. He was the Tigers’ defensive coordinator in 2008 before being hired away by Iowa State Athletic Director Jamie Pollard to take over the Cyclones’ program.
Rhoads coached at Iowa State for seven seasons. He led the Cyclones to three bowl games, including a victory over Minnesota in the 2009 Insight.com Bowl.
After being fired, Rhoads then spent two seasons at Arkansas in 2016-17. He coached defensive backs the first year, then was promoted to defensive coordinator the next year and also served as the interim head coach after Bret Bielema was fired.
Rhoads has been a head coach and a defensive coordinator at the P4 level and has coached and developed numerous all-conference players and NFL Draft picks during his career, which has spanned more than 30 years. He has also coached at Pitt, UCLA, Arizona and Ohio State.
Rhoads last coached in college in 2023 as an outside linebackers coach with Boston College. He spent the 2022 and 2024 seasons coaching alongside former Mississippi State assistant and Louisiana head coach Mark Hudspeth at Gulf Shores High School (Ala.).
Rhoads’ addition to the Mississippi State staff comes on the heels of former Colorado assistants Phil Loadholt and Vincent Dancy making the move to Starkville. Loadholt will coach the offensive line, while Dancy will coach the defensive ends and outside linebackers.
The Bulldogs currently hold the No. 5 transfer portal class in America according to 247 Sports. The turnover of the roster and the staffing changes illustrate that Lebby is committed to putting a more competitive product on the field in 2025.
Rhoads is excited about the future in Starkville, which is located less than 300 miles away from his home in Gulf Shores.
“There was familiarity with the staff, and the location is close to our home here,” he said.