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 is targeting Oklahoma OC Jeff Lebby as its next coach, sources tell @YahooSports. Deal not done, but discussions are expected to result in a hire.
Lebby is a former assistant under offensive minds like Art Briles, Josh Heupel and Lane Kiffin.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) November 26, 2023
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.
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