Tag: Jeff Lebby

Social Media Reacts: Seth Littrell, Joe Jon Finley promoted to Co-Offensive Coordinator

Social Media reacts to the reported promotion of Seth Littrell and Joe Jon Finley to co-offensive coordinator

Anytime there’s coaching turnover, anticipation builds as your favorite football team moves to fill the vacant position.

When it was announced that Jeff Lebby would be taking the Mississippi State head coaching job, the immediate question was, who would take his place? Really, even when it was rumored, people began speculating the direction the Sooners might go.

Well, with the promotions of Seth Littrell and Joe Jon Finley, the Sooners have their offensive coordinators.

Littrell has experience as a play caller and Finley is a highly thought-of offensive mind inside the program. Together, they’ll hope to keep the Sooners offense humming when they make the move to the SEC.

They’ll have some exciting offensive weapons to unleash in 2024 and beyond and here’s how social media reacted to the news.

Oklahoma Sooners set to name replacements for Jeff Lebby at offensive coordinator

The Oklahoma Sooners have announced who is taking over as offensive coordinator after Jeff Lebby’s departure.

The Oklahoma Sooners have determined who will be replacing Jeff Lebby, who left his offensive coordinator post to be the head coach at Mississippi State.

According to a report from SoonerScoop, the Sooners have named Seth Littrell and Joe Jon Finley co-offensive coordinators. Littrell and Finley take the reins of one of the best offenses in college football with some of the best young skill talent in the nation.

Littrell has long been considered the favorite for the job after joining the Sooners as an offensive analyst. Finley, the Sooners tight ends coach, has a growing reputation inside the program as an offensive mind. The two now set out to forge Oklahoma’s offensive identity in the wake of Lebby’s departure.

Both Littrell and Finley played for the Oklahoma Sooners.

Littrell played running back for Oklahoma from 1997-2000 and was a part of the Sooners national championship team. He’s had various coaching stops that included runs as an offensive coordinator at Arizona, Indiana, and North Carolina. After his stint in Chapel Hill, Littrell took the head coaching job with the University of North Texas, where he helped the Mean Green reach a bowl game six out of his seven seasons in Denton.

At each stop, Littrell helped improve the offense in total yards and points year over year. Littrell will work with the quarterbacks.

Finley played tight end for the Sooners from 2004-2007. After serving as a graduate assistant with the Sooners, Finley has been an assistant at Missouri, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M before landing with the Oklahoma Sooners. He played a role in relaying the offensive signals this season, with Jeff Lebby calling plays from the booth.

Also of note is that Oklahoma keeps its offensive staff largely intact. Stoia writes, “No full-time assistants are expected to follow Lebby to Starkville. Instead, there is an expectation that staffers Phil Loadholt, Benton Duby, Tanner Schafer and Matt Holecek will join Lebby at Mississippi State.”

In the promotions of Finley and Littrell, the Oklahoma Sooners maintain continuity on the offensive side of the ball. Their experience with Lebby will make for a more seamless transition as the Sooners take their offense to the SEC. Though there might be some philosophical differences in their approaches, Littrell and Finley can keep the language of the offense largely the same.

Now the Sooners can begin shoring up their 2024 recruiting class and explore the transfer portal for options to add depth and upgrade talent on both sides of the ball.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

5 offensive coordinators the Oklahoma Sooners should consider to replace Jeff Lebby

5 offensive coordinator the Oklahoma Sooners could target to replace Jeff Lebby.

Mississippi State has hired Jeff Lebby to be their next head coach, leaving Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator position vacant. The Sooners have now begun the task of replacing Lebby, who helped Oklahoma’s offense finish No. 3 in the nation in scoring and No. 4 in total yards.

Offensive coordinator for the Oklahoma Sooners is a position that will be incredibly attractive to a number of coaches across college football.

Here are five names we think the Sooners should consider.

Year 2 under Brent Venables shows improvement, still a long way to go

The Oklahoma Sooners made substantial improvement in year two under Brent Venables and are headed in the right direction.

The 2023 regular season has come to a close for the Oklahoma Sooners. So, let’s take a look at where the program is at now compared to a season ago.

Fresh off a 6-7 season in Year 1, many nationally were wondering if the Sooners had the right man to lead them into the best conference in college football, the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. The Sooners needed a bounce-back season to show the college football world they were bigger than their previous coach.

The standard for many was to get to 9-3 or 10-2 and show improvements on both sides of the ball. In 2022, the Sooners finished No. 13 in yards per game, No. 42 in passing offense, No. 10 in rushing offense and No. 25 in scoring offense.

In 2023, the Sooners finished No. 4 in yards, No. 6 in passing offense, No. 39 in rushing offense and No. 3 in scoring offense. Safe to say, the offense was much improved in Year 2 over Year 1.

But what about defensively? Defense is where [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] hangs his hat, so how much improvement was made on that side of the ball? In 2022, the defense finished No. 122 in yards per game, No. 119 in passing yards allowed, No. 106 in rushing defense and No. 90 in scoring defense.

In 2023, the Sooners finished No. 80 in yards allowed, No. 99 in passing yards allowed, No. 57 in rushing defense and No. 41 in scoring defense. Again, they were better across the board. Was it as big of a jump as a lot of Sooner fans would have liked? No. But don’t forget how bad this was. That’s a really solid jump from where it was.

But those numbers can be deceiving. Sometimes, you can allow a lot of yards when the game isn’t close, so some people believe the real tell of how good an offense or defense is is how efficient they are. So, let’s compare last year to this year in terms of efficiency.

According to the end-of-the-season SP+ rankings (subscription required), the Sooners finished No. 10 in offense, No. 70 in defense, and No. 20 overall in 2022. In 2023, they finished No. 6 in offense, No. 33 in defense, and No. 13 overall. Again, it’s an improvement across the board.

All in all, the Sooners made a lot of progress in 2023, but they still have a long way to go as the head to the SEC.

The Sooners need game-changers on the defensive line. They have some of those types of guys from the 2023 class and could get more from the 2024 class, but they still have to be developed, which may take a few years. They need some of their younger guys at cornerback to improve and be playmakers.

They also have to get better and more consistent along the offensive line. This season, they were too up and down. The Sooners were really solid in pass blocking but too inconsistent in the run game. They also need a No. 1 wide receiver to take over and take that next step toward elite. Again, guys like [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] showed signs of being big-time players like that, but they have to get more consistent.

The Sooners will have to do that while also replacing their offensive coordinator as [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag] is headed to be the head coach for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Sooner fans won’t want to hear this, but next year is another year of growth. It’s the first year in a new conference, and most of Oklahoma’s talent is still very young.

It probably won’t be what everyone has grown to expect, but as of right now, the program has made the necessary improvements in year two and are heading in the right direction.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Why Seth Littrell might make sense as Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator

Seth Littrell’s experience and success make for an intriguing option to replace Jeff Lebby as Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator.

It’s coaching carousel season in college football. As rivalry week put a bow on the regular season, the Oklahoma Sooners watched their Big 12 title hopes go up in flames in BYU’s OT loss to Oklahoma State.

With the Big 12 title out of the picture for the Sooners, offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby is off to Mississippi State to be their next head coach. The Sooners now must begin the search to fill their vacant offensive coordinator role.

Ryan Aber, from The Oklahoman, examined a number of names that could be potential fits for the Sooners. On the list is current offensive analyst and a popular name to fill the position, Seth Littrell.

Littrell is already on staff, and has plenty of familiarity with the Sooners’ personnel. He played for the Sooners from 1997-2000, the last two when Brent Venables was OU’s co-defensive coordinator. Littrell had stints as offensive coordinator at Arizona, Indiana and North Carolina before serving as North Texas’ head coach from 2016-22. Littrell also has a strong relationship with Sooners’ QB commit Michael Hawkins and could help OU hold onto the prospect. – Aber, The Oklahoman

Familiarity and relationships are important to Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables. That familiarity was key to Jeff Lebby getting the job with the Sooners in the first place. And it could play a role in Littrell getting an opportunity.

Littrell is an experienced coach, beginning as a graduate assistant with the Kansas Jayhawks in 2002. He has served as a running backs coach and a tight ends coach. He’s also held offensive coordinator titles with the Arizona Wildcats, Indiana Hoosiers, and North Carolina Tar Heels before taking the head coaching job at North Texas.

As an offensive coordinator, Littrell’s had success in the Pac-12, Big Ten, and ACC. With Arizona, Indiana, and UNC, Littrell helped the offense take significant year two jumps. The Tar Heels went from averaging 33 points per game in 2014 to 40 points per game in 2015.

It’s early in the process and there’s no time frame for the Sooners to make a decision. Littrell’s presence on staff provides an opportunity for a test drive of sorts. The Sooners can petition the NCAA for a waiver to make Littrell eligible to coach during their bowl game. Although, it’s more likely that they’d make a decision by then with the early signing period right around the corner.

The Oklahoma Sooners will be a destination for a number of qualified and exciting candidates. OU’s been one of the better offensive programs for much of the last 25 years. Given the litany of offensive talent returning for 2024, it’s likely they’ll continue to operate with great success on offense.

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Social Media Reacts: Sooners OC Jeff Lebby named next head coach at Mississippi State

Jeff Lebby was named the next head coach at Mississippi State and here’s how social media reacted.

The Oklahoma Sooners will have an offensive coordinator position to fill with the departure of Jeff Lebby to Mississippi State.

It was announced Sunday evening that Lebby agreed to a five-year deal to become the Bulldogs next head coach. Mississippi State is coming off of a 5-7 season in which they went 1-7 in SEC play.

Lebby takes over a tall task on an offense that finished 107th in points per game, 104th in total yards, and 111th in passing yards per game.

In 2023, Lebby helped the Sooners to No. 4 in the nation in total yards and No. 3 in scoring. There were some down moments like in the losses in Lawrence and Stillwater, but overall, he helped guys like Dillon Gabriel and Drake Stoops have career years.

Now, the question turns to who will take over. Seth Littrell has been mentioned as a possible replacement. But as the Sooners look into replacing Lebby, here’s how social media reacted to the news.

OFFICIAL: Jeff Lebby named the next head coach at Mississippi State

Oklahoma Sooners Offensive Coordinator Jeff Lebby has been named head coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

What had been speculated for the last several days is now official. [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag] will be the next head coach at [autotag]Mississippi State University[/autotag].

Oklahoma’s former offensive coordinator agreed to a five-year deal, according to reports.

Lebby had been with the Sooners for the last two years. In 2023, he helped Oklahoma finish 10-2 after a 6-7 season in 2022. Lebby led an Oklahoma offense that finished No. 4 in total offense and No. 3 in scoring offense. Both of which ranked higher than [autotag]Lincoln Riley[/autotag] and [autotag]Caleb Williams[/autotag]’ USC Trojans offense.

Now, the Sooners are in wait-and-see mode when it comes to how many, if any, recruits follow Lebby or decommit from Oklahoma. They also will wait and see if any position coaches follow as well. SoonerScoop’s George Stoia reported that several coaches could be following Lebby, but most would be in an analyst or quality control role currently.

It’s also unclear if any current players will hit the transfer portal.[autotag] Jackson Arnold[/autotag]’s dad, Todd, told OU Daily “It doesn’t affect Jackson. He plays for OU.”

The Sooners will be on the hunt for not only a new offensive coordinator but also for a new quarterback coach. That was the position group Lebby coached. The favorite for the offensive coordinator role is [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag], who is currently an offensive analyst on staff. But Littrell has never been a quarterbacks coach in his career. He’s primarily been a running backs and tight ends coach.

The Sooners could also look outside for Lebby’s replacement. If they go with Littrell, they could actually get approved by the NCAA for Littrell to call the plays in the bowl game since he is already on staff.

While Lebby’s time in Norman was short, he proved to be a very good offensive coordinator and recruiter. No, he wasn’t perfect and made his fair share of mistakes, but he’s someone Oklahoma fans will appreciate more as the time goes on.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Mississippi State hires Jeff Lebby as next head coach

Lebby, a member of Art Briles’ staff investigated for inaction on sexual assault allegations, spent the last two seasons as the Oklahoma OC.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs have hired Jeff Lebby as their next head coach, the university announced on Sunday.

Lebby spent the previous two seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Oklahoma. He served the same roles at Ole Miss and UCF during the three previous seasons.

Lebby worked under Art Briles, his father-in-law, on the Baylor coaching staff from 2008-2016, primarily as either an offensive quality control coach or a running backs coach. Briles was fired after the team was investigated for lack of action on sexual assault allegations. One victim named Lebby as a coach who was informed but did not take action.

This season with the Sooners, he was panned on social media for bringing Briles down onto the field for a game. Lebby apologized after the game and said the intent was just to celebrate with family.

This would be Lebby’s first head coach position at the collegiate level.

Mississippi State fired Zach Arnett on Nov. 13 after just a single season. Arnett took over the Bulldogs’ program after the tragic death of former head coach Mike Leach due to heart complications last December.

Coaching carousel updates for Texas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M

Oklahoma might lose offensive coordinator, Texas A&M botches head coaching hire and Texas assistant receives head coaching consideration.

It’s coaching carousel season in college football as dissatisfied athletic departments look to better their programs. Texas is not among the dissatisfied, but a handful of its rivals are in that category.

Texas A&M headlines that list as the program still searches for its next head coach. Last week, it appeared the team had narrowed its search to Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops. Despite his age, Stoops’ track record of maximizing the Kentucky Wildcats football program would have made the hire reasonable. Apparently he wasn’t good enough for the Aggies.

After public uproar, it appears Texas A&M will not hire Stoops. Perhaps two 10-win seasons at Kentucky since 2018, two more than Texas A&M, and eight consecutive bowl appearances wasn’t good enough for the Aggies.

The carousel spins wildly as teams search for new head coaches and coordinators. Let’s update a couple of situations in college football.

Jeff Lebby expected to be named Mississippi State’s next head coach

According to a report from Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, Jeff Lebby’s expected to be named Mississippi State’s next head coach. Nothing changing with Jackson Arnold.

What’s been rumored over the last week looks to be more imminent. Jeff Lebby appears headed to Starkville to be the next head coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports is reporting Mississippi State has zeroed in on the Oklahoma Sooners offensive coordinator to replace Zach Arnett. The Bulldogs finished 5-7 and just 1-8 in SEC play.

There were reports earlier in the week from George Stoia of Sooner Scoop that Lebby was on the shortlist to be the Bulldogs’ next head coach. However, with one game remaining and the possibility of the Sooners playing in the Big 12 title game, Lebby was noncommittal about his future. Now, with the Big 12 title picture clarified after Oklahoma State’s win over BYU, things are moving.

Dellenger reported that a deal is yet to be finalized, but that “discussions are expected to result in a hire.”

Mississippi State athletic director Zac Selmon gets a guy he has familiarity with. The former assistant AD at Oklahoma was a part of the team that helped put Brent Venables’ coaching staff together upon his arrival at Oklahoma.

Lebby’s playcalling came under fire during the Sooners’ two-game losing streak to Kansas and Oklahoma State. Those losses essentially killed Oklahoma’s Big 12 title aspirations. But he finished strong in the Sooners’ three-game winning streak to close the regular season, scoring 59, 31, and 69 points in the final three.

Once a deal is finalized, the Sooners will begin their search for Lebby’s replacement at offensive coordinator. There are popular names like offensive analyst Seth Littrell, but the Sooners may look outside of the program to see what their options are.

Additionally, there’s no telling how this might affect Oklahoma’s current roster or their future recruiting classes.

However, according to a story from OU Daily, Lebby’s move to Starkville doesn’t affect Jackson Arnold’s status in Norman. That’s huge for the Sooners, who can feel comfortable heading into the offseason knowing who there starting quarterback will be when they venture into the SEC in 2024.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.