Mississippi State hires Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby to be its new head coach
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/11/2023 (1029 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Mississippi State hired Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby as its new head coach on Sunday, hoping to bring a wide-open offensive style back to the the Bulldogs.
Lebby has been offensive coordinator for the Sooners the last two years after two seasons holding the same position at Mississippi.
Lebby is the son-in-law of former Baylor coach Art Briles, who was fired by the school in 2016 after an investigation found the school and athletic department mishandled sexual assault allegation cases, some involving athletes.
“I am confident that Jeff is the perfect leader for the next exciting chapter of Mississippi State football,” Mississippi State athletic director Zac Selmon said in a statement. “He will bring an exciting brand of football, elite student-athlete development, and a winning culture to Starkville, all while doing so with high integrity. He is a dynamic recruiter who will attract an elite coaching staff and the nation’s top talent.”
This is will be Lebby’s first head coaching job and Mississippi State’s third head coach in as many seasons.
“Being the head coach at Mississippi State is the opportunity of a lifetime,” Lebby said. “My family and I are fired up to engrain ourselves in this community, build relationships with our players, and hit the recruiting trail. This is a special place with special people and a football program with a storied tradition.”
Zach Arnett was fired by Selmon after less than one full season as head coach of the Bulldogs. Arnett replaced Mike Leach, who died of a heart condition after the 2022 regular season.
Under Leach, Mississippi State ran the Air Raid offense and put up prolific passing numbers. The Bulldogs finished their season 5-7 by losing to rival Mississippi last Thursday and the passing offense was one of the worst in the Southeastern Conference.
Selmon was hired at Mississippi State after Arnett was promoted to the head coach. Selmon came to Mississippi State from Oklahoma, where he spent eight years as one of the top administrators under longtime athletic director Joe Castiglione, his time overlapping with Lebby’s in Norman for a year.
Lebby worked for Briles from 2008-15 at Baylor, first as an analyst and then an assistant coach. Lebby was among the former assistants who publicly supported Briles after he was fired and this past season Lebby welcomed Briles to an Oklahoma game.
Both Oklahoma coach Brent Venables and Castiglione said they were caught off guard by Briles’ presence at the game. Lebby apologized for causing a distraction.
Whatever issues Lebby’s relationship with Briles have caused, they haven’t kept him from moving up the ranks in coaching.
The offenses he directed at UCF, Ole Miss and Oklahoma have been among the most productive in the country, though it was not until the last two years with the Sooners that he became the primary play-caller for a team.
His task will be making MSU competitive in a league that plays without divisions next season, posing a steep challenge for a program that struggled in a tough West Division with Alabama, LSU and rival Ole Missi.
Lebby inherits a Bulldogs squad that fell off significantly this season under Arnett and offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay, who switched from Leach’s Air Raid to a pro-style set that sought balance.
MSU had scored just 33 points over the previous four games when Arnett was fired on Nov. 13, and ranked near the bottom of many SEC offensive categories.
It didn’t help that record-setting quarterback Will Rogers III missed nearly half the season with an injury to his left non-throwing shoulder, forcing Mike Wright and freshman Chris Parson into action. Versatile running back Jo’Quavious Marks also missed time with injuries.
Rogers recently announced he would enter the transfer portal.
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Gary Graves in Louisville, Kentucky, contributed to this report.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll