Jeff Lebby explains decision to leave Oklahoma, become a first-time HC at Miss State
Mississippi State made Jeff Lebby an offer he couldn’t refuse. During an appearance on “The Paul Finebaum Show,” the Bulldogs’ new head coach pulled back the curtain on his decision to vacate his position as Oklahoma offensive coordinator and head to Starkville.
“When you look at Mississippi State right now, there’s just incredible leadership from [MSU president] Dr. Keenum to, obviously, our new AD Zac Selmon,” Lebby said. “That, for me, was just was incredibly important as you step into this role for the first time in my career, knowing that there’s going to be great trust. There’s going to be great alignment with the people that you’re working with and for every single day.
“Then, you just have great peace about being able to go get it done the way we need to get it done. So incredibly thankful for all of my stops. Again, so many people helped me get to the point that that I’m in today. I’m looking forward to working together here at State with our great leadership, our fan base and our locker room to get this thing where we need to get it.”
Lebby will replace first-year head coach Zach Arnett, who the school fired on Nov. 13. The head coaching job will serve as the first of Lebby’s coaching career. He previously served as an offensive coordinator at programs such as Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and UCF.
Momentum follows Jeff Lebby
Lebby was a highly sought-after asset. Oklahoma finished the 2023 regular season as the No. 4 offense in the nation, averaging 502.4 yards per game. Lebby was pivotal in the Sooners’ 34-30 upset win over Texas in the Red River Showdown earlier this season.
In the victory, the Sooners amassed 486 total yards of offense while committing zero turnovers. Lebby claims he can already feel the energy building around his new program.
“It was noticeable that our fan base is incredibly passionate right now,” Lebby said. “We’ve got some momentum. Our people are really excited. I think they’re excited about the brand of football that we’re going to play.
“I’m looking forward to that. Again, I’ve said it over and over, but I’m just honored and humbled to be in the position that I’m in right now and thankful for so many that have been a big part of getting me to this chair.”