Get Ready For The Show
November 28, 2023 | Football, Joel Coleman
New head coach Jeff Lebby promises an exciting future for Bulldog football.
STARKVILLE – It was around 8:30 p.m. on Monday night and fireworks were exploding over the campus of Mississippi State University.
New Bulldog head football coach Jeff Lebby had just introduced himself as part of an extravagant, hour-long celebration that rang in a new era in style. All eyes looked to the heavens to admire the sky as it lit up. If Lebby gets his way, soon enough, those literal fireworks will turn into figurative ones that are popping inside Davis Wade Stadium and on gridirons all around the country.
That's because under Lebby's watch, State football is about to turn up the volume. It's a new day in Starkville and, according to Lebby, everyone is about to be paying attention.
"It will be a show," Lebby proclaimed Monday evening. "And it'll be a show that a lot of people are going to want to see, and it'll be a show that a lot of people are going to want to be a part of."
For years, Mississippi State has been about grit. Bulldog football has been known for a no-nonsense attitude that – win, lose or draw – punches opponents in the mouth. It's been a group that has refused to be outworked.
Under Lebby, there are no plans for any of that to go away, but the new head man in Maroon and White isn't content to just rest on those traits either.
Lebby's adding the pizazz. He's bringing the swag. He's starting the show. And what precisely does he mean by that?
"Excitement," Lebby explained before continuing. "Fun. Energy. Passionate. Touchdowns. Violent defense. People that play with a ton of passion and toughness. That's what I want our people to see on Saturdays."
This is a man with the resume to back up what he says. Lebby has always practiced what he's preached. At every stop of his coaching career, he's indeed orchestrated shows that are unmatched.
He did so at the NAIA level when he led Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida to 55.1 points and 557.4 yards per game in 2017. Once Lebby became an offensive coordinator at the FBS level, he proved what happened at Southeastern was no fluke.
In 2019 at UCF, Lebby called the shots of the nation's second-ranked group in terms of total offense. The Knights were fifth in the country in scoring offense.
When Lebby arrived in the Southeastern Conference as the Ole Miss offensive coordinator in 2020, the show rolled right along. Lebby's unit led the SEC in total offense in both 2020 and 2021. His 2020 group broke the SEC record for total offense in conference play.
The last two years, Lebby has guided the offense at Oklahoma – his alma mater. In the just-completed regular season, the Sooners were one of just three programs in the country to rank inside the top six nationally in total offense, scoring offense and passing offense.
Put simply, wherever Lebby has gone, excitement has followed. Between that and Lebby's many intangibles, State director of athletics Zac Selmon knew quickly in the search process that Lebby was MSU's guy.
"I've known Coach Lebby for quite some time," Selmon said. "Anybody in this business knows what type of person he is, the style of play he has and his ability to attract great people. When you have that kind of gravity around you, people take notice. We visited with a handful of candidates and some great coaches, but Coach Lebby was the right person to lead this program at this time. Couldn't be more excited about where we're going."
Of course, a show needs a stage, and Lebby is already laying the groundwork for what's to come. He's confidently putting together a top-tier coaching staff.
"Feel good about where we are," Lebby said of his search for assistants. "There will be some guys who get added to it over the next couple of days. I've been excited with how many people of great quality want to be a part of our staff. They understand what the work environment will be about, what the leadership will be and understand that we'll put players first. We'll be able to put together an elite staff."
On the roster front, Lebby is preparing for both the present…
"We've already got good people in our locker room," Lebby said. We've got guys who are serious about being really good. That excites me to take them someplace they can't get by themselves. That's why they call us, 'Coach'."
As well as the future…
"Reaching out to every one of those guys that are committed," Lebby said. "Looking forward to connecting with them and their families and talking about the direction we're going."
And that direction is upward, in a hurry.
Lebby knows the path. He's traveled it before. And he's also wise enough to know the Dawgs can get where they're going even quicker with the support of the State faithful – a bunch that can play as vital a role as ever in the era of name, image and likeness opportunities and the transfer portal.
"I do think we have to do a great job capitalizing on some momentum that we have right now," Lebby said. "The excitement around the program today…The support from our fanbase to be able to get involved is such a big deal."
In other words, Bulldog fans don't just get to watch the show. They can be a part of it. With support and a leader like Lebby, it's now just a matter of time before the show really gets started.
"I can't wait to go chase this together because we are all better together, so Hail State, and let's go," Lebby said.