Getting To Know Anthony Tucker
December 26, 2023 | Football
New Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby has collectively hired one of the top coaching staffs in all of college football.
In an effort to get to know Lebby's assistant coaches a little better, they each sat down with HailState.com staff writers Joel Coleman and Logan Lowery for a series of interviews that will be released over the coming days.
The interview series continues with assistant head coach Anthony Tucker.
Q: You have a background with coach Lebby so what made this the right move to come join him in Starkville?
Tucker: "Obviously, we have a history of success together. But most importantly, it's the person that he is. We have a relationship where we're aligned in a lot of different ways and have had a great working relationship and a lot of chemistry in that regard. I trust his vision and his leadership and I know he's going to make it about the right things. So that was very, very easy for me.
"At this point in my career, you learn really, really fast who is about people, treating people the right way, doing the right thing on a daily basis and being invested in the right things. We have a role here and we believe the role is to coach and we're aligned so it was easy, a no-brainer."
Q: Since you're familiar with coach Lebby's offense, how do running backs work within that?
Tucker: "The running back position is involved in all of it. The running back is obviously involved in the run game and stands next to the guy who is taking the snaps every play so he is involved in the run game and protection. What we do is pretty dynamic so you could see that running back anywhere on the field. He's going to be involved in every aspect of what we're doing offensively and is going to be standing next to the guy who is going to be taking that ball every play." Â
Q: During coach Lebby's introductory press conference, he talked about it being a show. In your words, what makes coach Lebby's teams so exciting?
Tucker: "We're going to put pressure on every blade of grass on that football field, sideline to sideline and down the field. Everything that we're doing is about imposing our will, controlling the tempo the way we want to control the tempo and making defenses have to make some hard choices. Obviously, everything is about putting calculated pressure at different times on what we're seeing and basically being very aggressive in every aspect of what we're doing. Everything is predicated on trying to put that ball in the end zone every drive and every snap. You're going to have to strap up and make sure you're accounting for every piece of that football field."
Q: What are your impressions of the running backs that you are inheriting? Are you watching film on them or are you going to make your own opinion of them when spring rolls around and evaluate them with a fresh set of eyes?
Tucker: "I think it's a little bit of both if you've done this long enough. There are people here that I was familiar with before I got here, whether it was through recruiting them in high school or at different places. There are guys here that I've had the opportunity to develop relationships with in some form or fashion before I got here. Then you kind of dive into who they are now versus when you were familiar with them initially and then you start piecing those things together. These guys are still evolving, still working so it's going to be a lot of fun to get a chance to work with these guys and kind of see where they are and where we can be."
Q: What is your coaching style? What are the things that you value?
Tucker: "The thing that we'll talk about always is uncommon character, uncommon toughness and uncommon effort. Those are the three things that will be a theme in our room and will be reflected on who we are as people, our character, how we prepare and the callus that we build on a daily basis mentally and physically and how we play the game. When you turn on the film, the effort piece and the toughness piece will be reflected in what you see on the film.
"When the team that's getting ready to play us turn on the film, they know what they're seeing is different. It's going to be different. Those three things are very important to me: uncommon character, uncommon toughness and uncommon effort. To me, those are the things that are most important as far as how we're built in that room."
Q: Jeff Lebby and Mississippi State, the combination of those things had to be pretty special for you to pack up your life and come to Starkville. What went into your decision to join this staff?
Tucker: "It was really easy. Again, just going back to who coach Lebby is and who I know him to be as a person first, as a father and husband and a leader of young men, I have all the trust in his leadership. The staff that we're putting together and the relationships I have with this staff, there's great chemistry and connection within this staff. When you have that chemistry and connection at the top with the leadership, that's going to filter down to the locker room. We're going to build the program exactly that way."
Q: What drove you into coaching and let you know that cultivating young men was what you wanted to do?
Tucker: "I really stumbled into coaching by accident. In the area I grew up in in the Long Beach area of Los Angeles, all my formative years were there. As I've had a chance to reflect on who I've become and the things I've been able to accomplish all started with coaches. I started off coaching at the high school football level and it was an opportunity to give back and share with young men that were like myself in the same area that I grew up.
"I realized quickly that was the best part of my day, being able to serve and show up and develop. I'm big on teaching. Mentorship is real important to me and creating standards within your life as a total person. Those are the things that breathe into me and allow me to have purpose."
