Jeff Lebby on his relationship with Brent Venables: 'Indebted to him forever'

Brent Venables hired Jeff Lebby to his inital coaching staff when he was hired at Oklahoma ahead of the 2022 college football season.

Lebby, an OU alum, said he was grateful toward the Sooners headman for giving him the opportunity to return to his alma mater and further showcase his skills as an offensive architect. After his work in Norman, as well as the success he enjoyed at Ole Miss before that, he earned his first head coaching job at Mississippi State this offseason.

“Getting an opportunity to work for Coach V the last two years, he created an opportunity for me to go back to my alma mater and be able to get that thing off the ground with him,” Lebby said of Venables. “A great experience for me is being able to see him do it from year one to year two and being this great coordinator who had an incredible amount of success and being able to get into that head coaching chair and find ways to keep getting better.”

Not only did Lebby get to put together one of the strongest offenses in the Big 12 Conference last season, but he also got to see the program grow under Venables. In year one, Oklahoma finished with an uncharacteristic 6-7 season before exploding for 10 wins in 2023.

Lebby explained the how going through a process where success doesn’t happen overnight helped shape his vision of how he wants to ultimately build the Mississippi State football program.

“It was all about what’s best for the program, it’s all about what’s best for the people inside our room, as consistent of a leader and a man as there is, I believe that, in all of college football,” Lebby said. “I’m indebted to him forever for giving me that experience.”

The Bulldogs program has been in a tough spot for the past couple of years after Mike Leach passed away. Zach Arnett took over but lasted just one year before being relieved of his duties, meaning the Bulldogs are looking toward Lebby as a long-term solution to get things back on track in Starkville.

The Bulldogs will look to kick the Jeff Lebby era off on the right foot to begin the 2024 regular season on Aug. 31 against Eastern Kentucky in Week 1. They will kick off SEC play during Week 4 against the Florida Gators.