Jeff Lebby Hire Signals New Era In Ole Miss Rebels, Mississippi State Bulldogs Rivalry

With former Ole Miss Rebels offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby now in Starkville coaching the Mississippi State Bulldogs, the Egg Bowl rivalry just got a little more interesting.

The No. 11 Ole Miss Rebels beat their in-state rival, the Mississippi State Bulldogs, on Thanksgiving evening 17-7 in the annual Egg Bowl, and forced the latter program to make a much-needed coaching change.

Jeff Lebby was announced as Mississippi State's 36th head coach on Sunday morning after spending the last two seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Oklahoma Sooners. Ole Miss fans are familiar with the name, as Lebby was Lane Kiffin's first offensive coordinator when he joined the program for the 2020 season.

The hiring officially marks the beginning of Kiffin's coaching tree, as the master and his former apprentice will now be squaring off once a year in one of the most heated rivalries in college football.

Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby claps and shouts as the Oklahoma Sooners warm up before a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the TCU Horned Frogs at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Friday, Nov. 24, 2023. Oklahoma won 69-45.   :: © BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

It is safe to say that the Egg Bowl is back folks.

I am not saying the rivalry was boring when Mike Leach was coaching the Bulldogs, but the Lebby hire just adds to the drama of the Egg Bowl.

It is kind of ironic when you think about it. The Bulldogs are in desperate need of a jumpstart, as the Rebels have essentially dominated the rivalry since Kiffin was hired, so they swung for the fences and hired his former assistant to try and even the odds. 

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Lebby is a proven offensive genius at the Power Five level, the only real problem out the gate is that he has zero experience as a head coach. However, if Lebby does not get too overwhelmed initially and is able to find success as a recruiter, there may be some wild shootouts in future Egg Bowls.