Oklahoma OC Jeff Lebby 'Had Great Focus on Today' Amid Reported Mississippi State Interest

The OU offensive coordinator has been linked with the head coaching vacancy at Mississippi State.

NORMAN — Success brings attention, that’s part of the business of college football.

On the same day No. 13 Oklahoma beat TCU 69-45 to close out the regular season at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby’s name has been linked to the head coaching vacancy at Mississippi State.

Lebby, who has a track record of heading up explosive offenses at UCF, Ole Miss and now with the Sooners, has been tabbed as a potential future head coach for years.

But with Oklahoma still having a path to next weekend’s Big 12 Championship Game if it gets help from around the league, Lebby is directing his energy on the task at hand in Norman. 

“To me, there’s a time and a place for all of it,” Lebby said after the win on Friday. “Had great focus on today, finishing the regular season here at home today. Hopefully the chips fall in our favor, and we get to go play next weekend. We’ll see about that. But that’s about it.”

Mississippi State dismissed head coach Zach Arnett on Nov. 13, less than a year after he took the program over in the wake of the tragic death of college football icon Mike Leach.

The Bulldogs finished the regular season 5-7 overall after losing to Egg Bowl rivals Ole Miss on Thursday night.

A familiar face is in charge of Mississippi State’s coaching search.

Zac Selmon, who spent over a decade working in Oklahoma’s athletic department under Joe Castiglione, was hired as the Bulldog’s athletic director this past January.

Friday, Brent Venables closed just his second regular season as the head coach in Norman.

Every assistant from his initial staff in Norman was retained last offseason, with Emmett Jones’ hire at wide receiver coach only filling the role that had been performed by La’Damien Washington in an interim capacity a year ago.

Lebby’s departure would be the first time Venables’ program in Norman has to absorb the loss of a coordinator, something that Venables won’t stand in the way of if the opportunity comes to fruition in Starkville.

“I want all my guys to have opportunity,” Venables said Friday. “I’ll support them in any way I can. My charge to all the staff, all the staff is everything has its time. Some of it is not ideal time. Stay focused and locked in to what we’ve got to do, and that’s what our players deserve. Don’t be a distraction. But I’m for all my guys having opportunity to advance their careers.”

Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel first played under Lebby at UCF before reuniting with his offensive coordinator for the past two years in Norman.

Whenever Lebby makes the jump to taking over his own program, Gabriel believes he’ll succeed.

“I’ve always believed in him,” Gabriel said Friday. “I know as coaches, they journey and wanting to be a head coach is something that I think he’s always wanted to be, as well as a bunch of coaches on our staff. But just the growth I’ve seen him make since my freshman year to now, same he’s seen with me. It’s crazy what two, three years can do. He's very special offensively, what he does, which he's grown in that way too, but just the man he is.

“I think he’s learned a bunch. I played today for a big reason for him... so if that doesn't speak enough of being able to suit up and run through a brick wall for that guy, shoot, then I don't know what does.”

Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby embraces quarterback Dillon Gabriel after the Sooners beat Texas earlier this season.  :: Bryan Terry / The Oklahoman-USA Today Network

To this point, OU wide receiver Jayden Gibson said Lebby’s reported candidacy hasn’t been a distraction in any way.

“I didn’t even know that, so that’s news to me,” Gibson said. “But I’m pretty sure Coach Leb will address it if it becomes that big of an issue… I’ll have a hard time believing that Coach Leb would want to leave us here, know what I’m saying, after all the work we done put it and everything that—how much he loves us, know what I’m saying? That’s our coach.

“Either way, I’m going to love him regardless, but I know he’s someone who wants to be here with us. He puts his best foot forward every day to help us win games on Saturday. I know that regardless of whatever he does after this season, right now he’s only worried about what happens with this Big 12 Championship and our bowl game. I really don’t think it’s too much that big of a deal.

“… One thing about Lebby, he usually is a pretty straightforward guy; if there’s some stuff going on, he’ll let us know. So, either he ain’t got to it yet or there ain’t really nothing to worry about it at all.”

For everyone at Oklahoma, the next focus is monitoring if results around the conference the rest of the weekend open up a path for the Sooners to qualify for the conference title game.

Lebby hopes the 69-point performance, where the Sooners put up 607 yards of total offense (and got some help from a Billy Bowman pick six) will speak volumes for where his efforts are being funneled.

“Hopefully, it was pretty clear today that my focus was on one thing,” Lebby said. “And my energy and my mindset and how we wanted to go play was on one thing, and that was going 1-0 today. Again, proud of our guys.”

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