Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione Releases Statement on Hiring of Jeff Lebby
After much speculation and reports, Oklahoma confirmed on Friday that Ole Miss offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby would be assuming the same position for the Sooners under new head coach Brent Venables.
While Lebby’s reputation as a coach make him an obvious choice, having been a part of some of the most prolific offenses in the country the past two seasons, many questioned his candidacy for the job due to his alleged involvement in the massive sexual assault scandal at Baylor when he was on the staff under former head coach Art Briles.
Lebby, who vehemently defended Briles in the aftermath, is also Briles’ son-in-law, having married his daughter in 2011.
With a hire that will surely be met with much scrutiny, Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione put out the following statement:
“We are fortunate to have an offensive coordinator like Jeff Lebby coming home to Oklahoma to join us on this journey,” Castiglione said. “Like with all potential coaching staff, we vetted him from every angle, on and off the field. We understand why additional questions have been raised around his candidacy, which is why we did our due diligence, completed a thorough review and background check, and spoke to his previous employers throughout the process. The reports we received from Baylor, UCF and Ole Miss were consistent – they spoke highly of him as a person, his relationships within the programs as well as how he develops his players, his recruiting ability and, of course, his football acumen. At every turn throughout our review, we received assurance of the content of his character, his commitment to compliance and safety, and his desire to contribute to the development of winning programs in the manner we expect of all our staff. In speaking with Jeff, it is abundantly clear that he also knows and will embrace OU's expectations of him both on and off the field. We're glad to welcome him aboard.”
Joe Castiglione
CHRIS LANDSBERGER/THE OKLAHOMAN-Imagn Content Services, LLC
Lebby also put out an additional statement separate from the one included in the initial Oklahoma press release on his hiring:
“I'm honored by the opportunity I've been given to represent one of the most important programs in college athletics,” Lebby said. “My experiences at Baylor will inform my perspective for the rest of my life, on and off the field. It will be a privilege to work with Coach Venables and Joe Castiglione. These are two men I believe in and have the greatest respect for — I have the utmost confidence in their administrative leadership. OU's athletics programs have always demanded the best and I will work every day to earn the trust they have placed in me to represent this institution.”
Time will tell on how this hiring will be received publicly as Castiglione and Lebby will surely be asked further on this topic in the coming weeks.
