Jeff Lebby explains excitement over challenging schedule in 2024

The Jeff Lebby era has begun in Starkville, with Mississippi State hiring the offensive mastermind this offseason representing the first head coaching job of his career.

There’s no doubt Lebby has his work cut out for him, not only taking the reigns of a program for the first time, but also inheriting a team that hasn’t had above a .500 in SEC play since 2014 in a conference that most regard as the toughest across college football.

The SEC only gets more challenging ahead of the 2024 season with the additions of Texas and Oklahoma to the conference and the subtraction of divisions in the conference. But with a tough gauntlet of schedule ahead of Lebby and the Bulldogs ahead of his first season at the helm, the rookie head coach told On3’s Andy Staples that’s he’s looking forward to the challenge.

“I think for me man I couldn’t be more excited about it,” Lebby said. “Having the ability to sit in this chair and get to go chase and do what we get to do every single day at the very highest level in the greatest conference in the world. I’m not really sure what else you could really ask for.”

Yahoo Sports ranked Mississippi State’s 2024 schedule as the second hardest in the SEC next season only trailing Florida. Highlighted by away games at Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, and against rival Ole Miss to end the season.

Per usual the road will be tough for the Bulldogs as they navigate through uncharted SEC waters with a new captain of their ship, but Lebby is confident that everything Mississippi State needs to be successful next season is right there for them.

“To me we’ve got great competitive advantage here, we’ve got great proximity to players, been blessed to be able to put together an unbelievable staff, we’ve got incredible support. We’re gonna walk into a stadium that’s packed every single Saturday, so to me there’s just opportunity out there,” Lebby said. “I don’t look at it any other way.”

Lebby has crafted some of college football’s top offensive attacks in the past few years, with his offenses averaging north of 30 points per game in each of his last five seasons as an offensive coordinator with two of those teams leading their respective conferences in scoring to end the year.

Mississippi State is desperate for offense after being the SEC’s worst scoring unit last season. But hopefully, Lebby can change that in year one while also scoring some big wins for the program in their 2024 schedule.