Sooners' Coach Talks About Ex-Coordinator Turned Mississippi State Coach at SEC Media Days: Just a Bulldog Minute

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables spoke about new Bulldogs coach Jeff Lebby on Tuesday

Oklahoma Sooners offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby speaks with head coach Brent Venables before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium. / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

DALLAS – Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby won’t make his appearance at SEC Media Days until Wednesday morning. But his name did come up Tuesday.

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables was directly asked about Lebby in his Tuesday press conference. Lebby was the offensive coordinator the last two seasons at Oklahoma where he led one of the nation’s most prolific offenses.

“I love Jeff,” Venable said Tuesday. “Jeff is one of my favorite people on this planet. He's always in a great mood, his perspective on life and the game of football and on the locker room, real juice and energy, genuineness and positivity. He's a coach's kid. So, the game and the locker room have always been a sanctuary for him, which helps him be a very successful coach.”

Bulldog fans hope Lebby’s trend of success continues this fall in Starkville.

The Sooners, under Lebby’s leadership, fielded the nation’s fourth-best offense with 502.4 yards per game, third nationally with 43.2 points per game and scored 65 points or more three times (most in the nation). In previous coaching stops at Ole Miss (2020-2021) and Central Florida (2018-2019), his offenses finished inside the top five twice (in 2019 with UCF and in 2020 with Ole Miss).

“I’m really confident he'll do a great job,” Venables said. “He’s aggressive. He’s innovative. He relates well to people. He brings out the best in people. He has the ability to instill confidence in the simplest ways. And I know he's put together a really outstanding staff.”

Venables also is familiar with MSU athletic director Zac Selmon. Before coming to Starkville in 2023, Selmon spent five years at Oklahoma as the deputy athletics director for external engagement and advancement.

“Zac is an assassin of his own,” Venables said. “A young athletic director that has a tremendous future as well, and I know the passion in Starkville, Mississippi is very real, and so they'll support [Lebby] in all the right ways to be successful.”

Bulldog fans hope Venables is right. And, if he is, Venables need not worry since MSU isn’t scheduled to play Oklahoma this season. The Bulldogs do face Texas this season, which Venables would surely be glad to see his former offensive coordinator prove him right.