I think he's getting at least 3 years regardless. So take the lumps this year and next season and hope by year 3 we are back at 6+ wins.
Question about how long of a leash do you give Lebby?...
- Thread starter dawgstudent
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He will probably get at least three years, but we will know the verdict by mid year 2025. Lebby can also hope against hope that the SEC schedule maker (***LT still 17'ing us?***) is a little more kind to us for 2026/2027 than they were for 2024/2025.
Problem is next year won't do any favors in regards to wins and losses. All the "winnable" games are on the road (Arkansas, A&M, Florida, Missouri). Ole Miss will take a step back next year with or without Kiffin - just depends on how far they go back. We could improve in 2025 but it might not be reflected in the win column.
Edit to add - I hope it is reflected in the win column in 2025 b/c we aren't winning more than 2 games this year.
DC needs to be addressed after the season at the latest, and immediately if possible.
As for Lebby, I hate say it, but I agree with the posters that say we don't have the luxury of becoming a school with a quick trigger on firing. Moorehead was an exception, to me at least. At this point how many former coaches can we afford to pay per season?
As for Lebby, I hate say it, but I agree with the posters that say we don't have the luxury of becoming a school with a quick trigger on firing. Moorehead was an exception, to me at least. At this point how many former coaches can we afford to pay per season?
He can't survive 2-10 and 4-8. Has to win 5 next year.
We will not survive three years of this. Next season is the max. We have fired coaches after two years and now with Arnette one year. At this point I think we would have been better off keeping Arnette one more year. Our team suck and his coaching sucking. Football has changed. It should not take three years to build a team.
I am not one for making snap decisions, but our current DC really does need to go. I think his head rolling mid season would at least show us fans Lebby is paying attention.
I refuse to live through Croom 2.0. If he doesn't make any changes to the staff and he doesn't pull some talent out of the portal i will not give any more money. I will not renewal my season ticket. I will walk away from college football until something happens.
I think that the first thing that we have to get straight is that no matter how low expectations were for this season. Lebby has failed to meet every one of them. The staff that he assembled is highly suspect, portal recruiting was a giant whiff, his offense isn’t clicking, and the defense is an utter train wreck. He wanted to end the year with fans knowing that we had the right guy in charge, and that flat out isn’t happening.
So at this point, I’d say that it’s likely that he gets 3 years, but he absolutely has to show something next season. Firing the mistakes that he hired, recruiting, and winning games are all good options for that, but that $8m gift isn’t going to mean a damn thing to anybody if we keep getting results like this for another year. If none of this happens in ‘25, he has to be 2 and done
So at this point, I’d say that it’s likely that he gets 3 years, but he absolutely has to show something next season. Firing the mistakes that he hired, recruiting, and winning games are all good options for that, but that $8m gift isn’t going to mean a damn thing to anybody if we keep getting results like this for another year. If none of this happens in ‘25, he has to be 2 and done
I'm afraid we already know. It's not so much the 1-3 record as it is the complete lack of preparation or effort we've shown. That's something that should be in place game 1 if your coach is any good at all. It was obvious when Jackie took over, it was obvious when Mullen took over, and it was obvious when Leach took over. This looks a lot more like Arnett, Croom or Felker.
You're right we do. This IS another failure hire. We may get more outta him if we can Salmon Nov 30 and Lenny doesn't have his homie to fall back on.
3 years to reach 6 wins? Alrighty then.
Is this 2006?
Is this 2006?
Definitely. Teams are rebuilding with portal in one year, see Arkansas this year and compare them to last year. Then look at their portal class and staff changes.
No… it’s much, much worse than 2006.
Man, this time next year we could be twice as good as we are now and still only win 3 games.
It really is that bad.
When the powers see how few ppl show up in Oct and Nov....that leash will get 1 year length. Salmon needs to go day after Egg Bowl rape
First of all, State will survive. Ark, USC, UK and VU have survived on less than 10 wins in three season.
Kentucky won 2 games in 2012 and 7 total games in Mark Stoops first two years of 2013 and 2014.
Arkansas, Pittman won 3 games In 2020, 5 the next and broke .500 in 2022, losing in 23 but trending up in 24.
Lou Holtz went 0-11 in his first year at USC. 8-4 the next
Vandy, Clark went 2-10 his first year, 5-7 the next and is trending up this year.
I just hope Lebby is a quick study.
Kentucky won 2 games in 2012 and 7 total games in Mark Stoops first two years of 2013 and 2014.
Arkansas, Pittman won 3 games In 2020, 5 the next and broke .500 in 2022, losing in 23 but trending up in 24.
Lou Holtz went 0-11 in his first year at USC. 8-4 the next
Vandy, Clark went 2-10 his first year, 5-7 the next and is trending up this year.
I just hope Lebby is a quick study.
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Man, I don't know. I liked the hire. But, hell, I thought Arnett would do more than stand on the sideline with a scowl on his face last season. So, wtf do I know?
Lebby needs to start lighting a fire under the players and the coaches. Chew some 17ing azz, man. Show some passion at least. Complete resignation should get his azz fired after 1 year. Nobody said it was going to be easy.
Lebby needs to start lighting a fire under the players and the coaches. Chew some 17ing azz, man. Show some passion at least. Complete resignation should get his azz fired after 1 year. Nobody said it was going to be easy.
I think that sounds about right. He will need to upgrade some of the coaching staff, mostly on D. Recruiting seems to be going surprisingly well, given the results on the field.
I think we really have to commit to this hire since we fired Moorhead and Arnett so quick.
So Lebby gets three years regardless. Maybe even a 4th.... depends on if we have an AD clever enough to work the back channels and can have an educated idea of the interest level of the job at that point. If you have a good pool of interested candidates, pull the trigger. If you don't.... ride it another year.
In other words, before State fires another coach, State better have a good candidate ready to go.
So Lebby gets three years regardless. Maybe even a 4th.... depends on if we have an AD clever enough to work the back channels and can have an educated idea of the interest level of the job at that point. If you have a good pool of interested candidates, pull the trigger. If you don't.... ride it another year.
In other words, before State fires another coach, State better have a good candidate ready to go.
I think it's a 2.5 year time frame for him. If we chalk up 2-10 this year and then 4-8 or 5-7 next year, then we go into 2026 as his make or break year. If we near October 2026 and are trending toward another 4 or 5 win season, then I think he will get capped mid-season. From that point on, it might still be week to week for him, keeping open the possibility that he gets the Arnett special and is replaced late in the season before the 2026 Egg Bowl. If he makes it through the 2026 season still employed, then he's got a decent shot at being the coach in 2027.
LT say you need at least seven years.
Jury is still out and you have to have insider knowledge to understand if he’s in over his head or not.
For example if really like to know what sold him on his defensive staff. Did he make a rookie mistake of going off someone’s recommendation or was that totally his call and his choice?
I really think Arnett got some terrible advice from multiple people as his demeanor just changed too much.
Easy to do as a first time coach. Mullen was just arrogant enough that something like that wasn’t a problem for him. But if he thought he made a mistake on dc he tried something else immediately.
Lebby is going to have to fix the staff first and then get the players
For example if really like to know what sold him on his defensive staff. Did he make a rookie mistake of going off someone’s recommendation or was that totally his call and his choice?
I really think Arnett got some terrible advice from multiple people as his demeanor just changed too much.
Easy to do as a first time coach. Mullen was just arrogant enough that something like that wasn’t a problem for him. But if he thought he made a mistake on dc he tried something else immediately.
Lebby is going to have to fix the staff first and then get the players
The 2006 roster had 8 players play in the NFL. This team will have half of that. And most of them will be WRs.
Even with the portal, I don't see fixing this mess taking less than 3 years.
3 years given that we see improvement from game to game and year to year. I can’t expect a chef to cook a steak when all he has is a hotdog. We showed improvement on offense last game. That’s a start and that’s all I expect.
But who's holding MK accountable? He's been here for all of it. Does he continue to slip through the cracks?
I'll also go with 2.5. At the moment it appears Lebby inherited the barest cupboard since...Shira?
Couple that with a rash of injuries, and you get what we see.
Next year's schedule sucks even worse if you're trying to get to 6 wins, so I'd set the floor to avoid a second-year firing at 4.
I did see improvement in the offense Saturday, although there were a couple of play-calling brain farts even on that side.
The defense still just looks poorly coached overall, but I realize the injuries have been worse there. If Lebby thinks Hutzler is getting steadily better at his job, I'm fine riding with him for the rest of the year to see if there's improvement obvious to the casual fan. If there's not, keeping him for year 2 might tie their fates together.
Couple that with a rash of injuries, and you get what we see.
Next year's schedule sucks even worse if you're trying to get to 6 wins, so I'd set the floor to avoid a second-year firing at 4.
I did see improvement in the offense Saturday, although there were a couple of play-calling brain farts even on that side.
The defense still just looks poorly coached overall, but I realize the injuries have been worse there. If Lebby thinks Hutzler is getting steadily better at his job, I'm fine riding with him for the rest of the year to see if there's improvement obvious to the casual fan. If there's not, keeping him for year 2 might tie their fates together.
Good Lord son. I was comparing to the Croom Error and all the excuses for giving him more time.
I mean… we almost can’t fire him in less than three. Moorhead in two and Arnett in one plus complete staff turnover… You can get a lot of ex coaches on the payroll pretty quick.
You immediately keep your recruiting in flux, players get antsy watching coaches come and go, constant making and breaking of high school recruiting relationships, the fans are anxious and apathetic, prospective coaches are asking questions, everyone is just out of whack.
There will be another gigantic and simultaneous eye roll unless someone big walks off the plane.
MSU has managed to paint ourselves into quite a damn corner.
You immediately keep your recruiting in flux, players get antsy watching coaches come and go, constant making and breaking of high school recruiting relationships, the fans are anxious and apathetic, prospective coaches are asking questions, everyone is just out of whack.
There will be another gigantic and simultaneous eye roll unless someone big walks off the plane.
MSU has managed to paint ourselves into quite a damn corner.
I think after firing Arnett you have to give him three years. We know Arnett should have never been fully promoted and had interim tag taken off of him, but we supposedly did a search and up Lebby. Now, he better figure out a way to change out his staff and make some adjustments to win because it hard to dig yourself out of a hole if you don't improve in year 1 due to mistakes you made as a coach bring in the wrong staff. If he has off the field issues he can be fired faster.
3 years is enough time to know who he is as a coach (will he be able to hire and fire folks is my question). 80% of Mullen’s hired were good. Time will tell if we are financially competitive with our peers. $8M is nice, but 3/4 of the SEC is likely playing with a better hand. If we aren’t above .500 in 3 years, we may never be.
This is a good point. You don't fire him unless you pulling a proven winner head coach willing to leave where he is either ready to move on or redemption story or whatever and be ready to spend 9-10 mil to get them. Otherwise why fire a greenhorn to get another coordinator? Or a g5 coach that has been winning a bunch. Supposedly Sumerall was interested no idea about liberty coach and his actual interest. Lot of people liked Tom Herman but he floundered. Who will be the next big coach fired for not being good enough at their current school but is probably still a good coach? That's probably the only type you are going to attract without throwing huge money and contracts and even then some coaches still wouldn't want the mess that has been created by Keenum cohen Selmon Arnett and lebby now. So either you keep the greenhorn you got and see if he can dig himself out in 2-3 and your program is nuked if you don't or try to find another or a coach that used to win and is looking for a redemption story.
He will be here 3 years minimum regardless I said in an earlier post. Hopefully the 3rd year will start coming together. But personally I do not think he will be getting fired for 4 or 5 years. Just pray that he gets it rolling. Otherwise we got a long row to hoe as fans
Depends on if he can deliver on his promised offense, and if he can get a DC that is decent.
We can show improvement without wins. Just like Moorhead showed he was not it with wins.
I'll say 3, but could be 2 or less if he's stubborn (keeps Hutzler) or otherwise shows he's not ready. That will be hard to see this year with a True Freshman QB and a DC that either calls a defense, or cannot coach players to count and see the strong side of the offence.
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