Jeff Lebby, a dynamic strategist and offensive mastermind has been named the 36th head football coach in Mississippi State history, Director of Athletics Zac Selmon announced Sunday.
Lebby is set to arrive at George M. Bryan Airport in Starkville on Sunday night at 8 p.m. CT. Fans are encouraged to attend and welcome the Lebby family to Starkville.
“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,” Selmon said.
“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.”
Most recently in 2023, Lebby’s prolific unit is one of only three in the country to rank inside the top six nationally in total offense, scoring offense, and passing offense. LSU and Oregon are the others.
“I want to commend MSU Athletics Director Zac Selmon for leading a very comprehensive and thorough national search that produced Coach Jeff Lebby as our new head football coach at Mississippi State University,” MSU President Mark E. Keenum said.
“Coach Lebby is one of the most innovative offensive minds in college football and I look forward to him leading our football program to the standard our loyal Bulldog fan base wants and deserves.”
Speaking about his appointment, Lebby said:
“Being the head coach at Mississippi State is the opportunity of a lifetime,” Lebby said. “My family and I are fired up to engrain ourselves in this community, build relationships with our players, and hit the recruiting trail. This is a special place with special people and a football program with a storied tradition. I couldn’t be more thrilled to add our dynamic offensive scheme to an NFL powerhouse with a nationally regarded history of elite defensive play.”
“I am truly honored and appreciative of Athletics Director Zac Selmon and President Dr. Mark Keenum for this special opportunity. I can’t wait to lead Mississippi State football into the future, while competing in college football’s premier conference. Hail State!”
Explosive plays have been a trademark of Lebby-coached offenses. His units have ranked inside the top 25 in that category in each of his five seasons of coordinating offenses:
Plays of 20+ Yards From Scrimmage
2023: 73 – Oklahoma (No. 9 in FBS)
2022: 75 – Oklahoma (No. 25 in FBS)
2021: 74 – Ole Miss (No. 17 in FBS)
2020: 71 – Ole Miss (No. 9 in FBS)
2019: 95 – UCF (No. 6 in FBS)