Jeff Lebby defines what would be a successful first season at Mississippi State

Jeff Lebby is tasked with turning around Mississippi State‘s fortunes after 2023’s lone season with Zach Arnett didn’t turn out as planned.

Even though the Bulldogs missed out on a bowl game last season, Lebby believes Mississippi State is coming together nicely under his guide. Taking over the program after gaining a reputation of being one of the top offensive assistants in the country, Lebby outlined what success would look like to him during his inaugural season.

“I want, after year one, for people to say that they got the right guy,” Lebby told ESPN’s Greg McElroy. “They’re trending up, there’s great energy inside the program, you can tell these guys love playing football. It’s an exciting brand, how they play, how they do, what they do is impressive.

“And then going and winning a bowl game. Those are the things that I want to get done in year one and continue to create momentum and build on it from there.”

Mississippi State finished the season 5-7 in 2023, which marked the first time since 2009 that the Bulldogs weren’t eligible for a bowl game. It’s clear that Lebby isn’t interested in sitting out in the postseason.

Lebby has talked at length about the “genuine juice” that he feels within the Bulldogs’ building. He calls it genuine juice because when his players walk in and lock in, there is already a “great feel and a great buzz where we go to work every single day.” The goal is to have a “genuine love,” for what you do, which has shaped the Mississippi State head coach’s perspective and has kept him thankful for the successes he’s had in his career.

Before coming to Starkville, Lebby was regarded as one of the best offensive masterminds in college football, with his most recent Oklahoma offense ending the regular season as the nation’s No. 3 scoring offense of the 2023 regular season. The Bulldogs’ offense ranked dead last in scoring in the SEC this season, an area that Lebby will look to improve amongst others upon his arrival in Starkville. 

The Bulldogs will kick off the Jeff Lebby era during the 2024 regular season on Aug. 31 against Eastern Kentucky in Week 1. Matchups at Arizona State and against Toledo will lead Mississippi State into SEC play against Florida during Week 4 before travelling to Texas, a team Lebby is all-too familiar with, the following week on Sept. 28.