The Mississippi State football program is one of many high-end institutions looking for a new bench boss for the 2024 season. The Bulldogs fired first-year frontman Zach Arnett in mid-November, opening the door for the SEC member to look for their 36th full-time head coach in school history. Per Tzvi Mahlin of The Spun, Mississippi State has set their sites on Oklahoma Sooners offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby.
Lebby has operated as the Sooners’ OC since 2022. He joined Brent Venables staff after Oklahoma replaced the departing Lincoln Riley.
Jeff Lebby: Longtime Offensive Coach Looking for First Head Coaching Gig
Lebby started coaching as a student assistant with the Oklahoma Sooners in 2002. His first big-time college gig came in 2008 when he joined the Baylor Bears as the offensive quality control coach. Lebby spent nine seasons with the Bears, holding the title of running back coach, pass game coordinator, and run game coordinator at different points of his tenure. The Texas native shifted to the NAIA ranks in 2017, getting his first offensive coordinator position with Southeastern University.
After leading Southeastern to the Mid-South Conference Sun Division title and the top-scoring offense, the UCF Knights hired him as their QB coach and pass game coordinator. The Knights, behind true freshman gunslinger Dillon Gabriel, finished the season 5th in total offense. The 39-year-old quickly joined Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss as the offensive coordinator. After another successful campaign, his coaching career came full circle, returning to Oklahoma as the OC in 2022.
Lebby reunited with quarterback Dillon Gabriel. The fifth-year senior has thrown for 55 touchdowns against six picks under Lebby at Oklahoma. The Sooners have scored 43.2 points per game in 2023, the 3rd best average in the NCAA. Gabriel has proven elite, while the Sooners are averaging a conference-high 502 yards per game.
Mississippi State Football: Out Head Coach and Quarterback
The Mississippi State Bulldogs fired Zach Arnett with two games remaining in the regular season. He finished his stint with Mississippi State with a 5-6 record. He served as the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator from 2020-2022 but took over after the sudden hospitalization of Mike Leach in December of 2022. Leach died shortly after, with Arnett replacing the storied coach for the foreseeable future.
Leach, a former AFCA Coach of the Year Award winner and two-time Pac-12 COY passed away as one of the best coaches in college football history. His storied career spanned over three decades, including epic stints with Texas Tech, Washington State, and Mississippi State. He is considered the godfather of the air raid offense.
Mississippi State football will also need to replace quarterback Will Rogers. The program leader entered the transfer portal earlier this week.
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