Former Ole Miss and Oklahoma Offensive Coordinator Jeff Lebby Named Mississippi State Head Coach
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State University has named Jeff Lebby its next football head coach as announced Sunday.
Lebby is set to arrive in Starkville Sunday night and will be officially introduced Monday at 7:30 p.m.
Lebby, 39, has served as the offensive coordinator for Oklahoma, the Big 12’s top-ranked offense during the 2023 regular season, and was in his second in Norman. The Sooners posted a 10-2 record under second-year coach Brent Venables. Lebby is being hired on a five-year deal, according to ESPN.
An offensive mastermind, a dynamic play caller and the engineer of some of the most feared offenses in college football.
Please join us in welcoming the 36th head football coach in program history, Jeff Lebby!
📰 » https://t.co/VOgdIY8aMC@Coach_Leb | #HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/LEY36LlLeD
— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) November 26, 2023
“As we continue to invest in excellence at Mississippi State, the future of our football program is incredibly bright with the addition of Jeff Lebby at the helm,” Mississippi State athletic director Zac Selmon said in a statement.
“I am confident that Jeff is the perfect leader for the next exciting chapter of Mississippi State football. He will bring an exciting brand of football, elite student-athlete development, and a winning culture to Starkville, all while doing so with high integrity. He is a dynamic recruiter who will attract an elite coaching staff and the nation’s top talent. There is no doubt in my mind that Jeff’s leadership, vision, and resilient work ethic will take this program to incredible heights. We could not be more excited to welcome Jeff, his wife Staley, and their children Kora and Kane to the Mississippi State family. It is a great time to be a Bulldog and only going to get better.“
Mississippi State AD Zac Selmon
Lebby, who takes over as the 36th head coach of the Bulldogs, replaces Zach Arnett who was at the helm for 11 games. Arnett was named the Bulldogs’ head coach after the sudden death of Mike Leach last December.
Arnett was let go after the 51-10 loss to Texas A&M on November 11. Greg Knox served as interim head coach for the Bulldogs against Southern Miss in a 41-10 win and also in a 17-7 loss to No. 12 Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl.
Lebby is no stranger to the state of Mississippi as he came to Ole Miss in 2019 to serve as offensive coordinator when Lane Kiffin was hired. In 2021 in his second season as the offensive coordinator with Matt Corral at quarterback, the Rebels went 10-2 in the regular season. The Rebels offense averaged over 33 points per game while running the ball for over 2,800 yards and passed for over 3,500 yards that season.
This will be Lebby’s first head coaching job. Other assistant stops for Lebby include UCF (2018-19) and Baylor (2008-16), where he coached under his father-in-law, Art Briles.
Mississippi State finished the regular season with a 5-7 overall record and a 1-7 mark in the SEC.
Adam Brown
Adam Brown joins The Rebel Walk as the Managing Editor after being on the Ole Miss beat as a Sports Editor for over 11 years. He is a lifelong Oxford resident. Brown graduated from the University of Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
Prior to The Rebel Walk, Brown was the sports editor of HottyToddy.com covering every Ole Miss sport and local high school sports in the community.
