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Mississippi State Head Coach Jeff Lebby Has A Long History With Josh Heupel

A coach that Heupel mentored is now going to have to try and beat him.

Tanner Johnson

Oct 26, 2024; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby stands on the sideline after a play during the first quarter of the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images
Oct 26, 2024; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby stands on the sideline after a play during the first quarter of the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images / Matt Bush-Imagn Images
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Jeff Lebby is currently in the middle of a very difficult debut season as Mississippi State’s head coach. 

This is the first chance that Lebby has ever gotten to lead his own program after being a high-profile assistant coach for a few different schools. His first head coaching job is not an easy one. Mississippi State has started the year 2-7 and 0-5 in SEC play. The Bulldogs look like a team that has no answers.

However, most of their problems have come on the defensive side of the ball, while Lebby’s offense has not been the problem. After all, a high-powered offense is what Lebby is known for.

He began his coaching career as a student assistant at Oklahoma, where he first met current Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel. After spending time at Baylor under Art Briles, Lebby found his way to UCF and was reunited with Heupel. 

He became the Knights’ quarterbacks coach for one season before he was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2019. He remained in that role for one season before being hired by Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss. He only stayed in Oxford for a couple of years before returning to be the OC at his alma mater Oklahoma.

To see how good of an offensive coordinator he was for the Sooners, just take a look at what their offense has become since he left. Lebby and Heupel both run similar offensive systems, and they have a lot of respect for each other.

“A guy that I have more respect for than maybe anybody in the profession,” Lebby said. “A great friend and somebody that has been a great mentor to me. I had the opportunity to work for him and it was an incredible 

experience. A guy that’s incredibly consistent and you look at what he’s done, the amount of success he’s had, the culture he’s created at an incredible place. A ton of respect for who he is as a person, as a father, as a husband and then obviously, as a football coach, as well.”

Heupel and Lebby’s paths will cross once again on Saturday night when Tennessee hosts the Bulldogs in Neyland Stadium.

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Tanner Johnson
TANNER JOHNSON

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