Former Oklahoma Coach Saw Something in Jeff Lebby Before Mississippi State

Before Mississippi State hired Jeff Lebby, one decision at Oklahoma changed his career, caught a coach's attention.

Former Oklahoma Sooners offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby speaks with head coach Brent Venables before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium. | USA TODAY Sports

STARKVILLE — Some coaches are built in film rooms, and Jeff Lebby is one of them.

Long before he called plays in the SEC, the Mississippi State coach was a teenager at Oklahoma, and the man who gave him his opportunity to shine says the coaching gene was obvious from day one.

Lebby arrived in Norman as a four-star offensive tackle. Sadly, terrible chronic back problems ended his playing career during his freshman season in 2002, and then Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops, who led the Sooners to a national championship, stepped in. 

Former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops is pictured before the University of Oklahoma Sooners Spring Game at the Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday April 18, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Stoops chose to keep the injured teenager around, transitioning him into a brand-new role on the staff.

“Coach Stoops was kind enough to give me the opportunity to become basically a student assistant and keep me on scholarship,” Lebby said this week. “That’s what got me into it. I’m incredibly thankful for those opportunities in that time.”

Bob Stoops knew Jeff Lebby belonged on the sideline

“You could tell it was in his blood and he liked it,” Stoops said in an interview this week. “He was really good with it. We felt all along from the beginning that he was going to be a good coach.”

In his five seasons as a student assistant, Oklahoma went 55-12, won three Big 12 titles and finished in the top five three times. The staff around him included future head coaches Brent Venables, Josh Heupel, Kevin Wilson, Chuck Long and Bo Pelini.

Lebby learned the game inside a machine, and his Mississippi State teams carry the same attention to detail.

Jeff Lebby Earned It The Hard Way

JD Runnels, a fullback in Lebby’s recruiting class who now coaches high school football in Oklahoma, saw the decision up close. 

“He could have easily quit,” Runnels said. “He could’ve easily left and went back home. He could have easily transferred. The guy sacrificed for our university. I think he made the best out of a bad deal.”

Lebby then climbed the slow way, from high school ball in Texas to Baylor, NAIA Southeastern, UCF, Ole Miss and back to Oklahoma as offensive coordinator.

Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby looks on during the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bob Stoops is Watching the Payoff

The results in Starkville are finally catching up. Mississippi State went 2-10 in Lebby’s first season and 5-8 in his second, and the Bulldogs own more SEC wins this year than in those two seasons combined at 4-2 overall.

“I loved watching him here at OU and loved that fact that he is a head coach,” Stoops said. “Now, he’s off to a great start, especially this year. I’m just happy for him and his wife and his family. It’s not surprising to me.”

Lebby insists the Oklahoma game is not personal. 

“No, this game means a ton to me because it gives us an opportunity to win another SEC game and get to 5-2,” Lebby said. “That’d be a huge deal for us in where we’re at and where we’re trying to go.”

Runnels summed up his friend best. 

“I think about those long nights of him staying up until 3-4 in the morning drawing scout cards,” Runnels said. “People that don’t know him need to know he got it honestly.”

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