Cowbell Corner

What Mississippi State Coach Jeff Lebby Said About His Former Boss

Jeff Lebby coached with, for and against Tennessee coach Josh Heupel and now the two will face off on opposite sidelines as head coaches of SEC programs.

Taylor Hodges

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel looks at the scoreboard after a touchdown during a game between Tennessee and Kentucky at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024.
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel looks at the scoreboard after a touchdown during a game between Tennessee and Kentucky at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. / Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
In this story:

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State football coach Jeff Lebby and Tennessee coach Josh Heupel have a long history together.

Both were graduate assistants at Oklahoma in early 2000s, then they coached against one another in the Big 12 (Lebby at Baylor, Heupel at Oklahoma), and Heupel brought in Lebby to run his first offense at Central Florida. Now, they’re meeting as head coaches on opposite sidelines of an SEC game.

On Monday, Lebby talked about his time and experiences working alongside and against Heupel at his weekly press conference. Here’s what Lebby had to say about his former co-worker/boss:

On his relationship with Heupel…


A guy I got more respect for than maybe anybody in the in the profession. He’s a great friend, somebody that has had been a great mentor to me. Just look what he's done, the amount of success that he's had, the culture he's created at an incredible place.

On what he can copy in Starkville that Heupel has done in Knoxville…


It's been a great deal of consistency with him being exactly who he's supposed to be as a leader and a guy that I think those players inside the building, and his staff, they know what to expect every single day and results won't dictate who he is again as a person how he interacts. You hear me talking about you know non-stop every single day as we're fighting to build this.

Reminiscing about their time together in Norman…


That's where it all started. I was a student assistant and man grunting it up together in a tiny little office and spending a lot of hours together breaking down opponents and finding ways to create shortcuts for the staff and the players. There was was great growth inside and being 19-, 20-year-olds being able to go at it every single day with him was great and that was kind of the start of it.

Read More Mississippi State Bulldogs On SI:

Mississippi State Football's Final Stand: Can the Bulldogs Secure One More Win?

How to Watch: Mississippi State at No. 7 Tennessee

SEC Football Week 10 Review: Mississippi State Finally Ends Losing Streak

What Went Right? Mississippi States Tops UMass

Published
Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.

Home/Football