"Fire him immediately" - CFB sportscaster's alleged N bomb for former Oklahoma OC Jeff Lebby has football fans outraged

An ESPN commentator is under fire from fans for allegedly using the N-word while referencing former Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby live on air. The apparent slip-up occurred during the Sooners' Nov. 18 matchup against the BYU Cougars. Lebby, who is white, has since been announced as the new Mississippi State head coach.

Instagram user "cityboy_mak" posted a short clip of the gaffe, which shows ESPN analyst and reporter Quint Kessenich mistakenly calling Lebby the "offensive coordini**er."

In the video, Kessenich can be heard allegedly saying:

“Coach Lebby, the offensive coordini**er, coordinator, he's always open, according to Brent Venables.”

Many outraged college football fans have flooded the comment section of the post.

“The offensive coordini**a(NATOR) YO is WILD!!!” one fan wrote.

Some have called for the commentator to be fired:

“Coordinate and ni**a are not that close to confuse. Fire him immediately.”

Another Instagram user quipped:

“Fire that Commencr*cker.”

Another fan wrote that the reporter did not immediately apologize:

“The part that made it sound more offensive is after he said the N-word. He didn’t immediately say excuse me or my bad I meant to say coordinator. He immediately sad (You Know) coordinator as if to say everybody knows the coordinator’s is a N.”

Others have urged caution and restraint in making accusations based on assumed intent:

“He didn't say coordinate, he meant to say coordinator, and yes they do sign alike by the way. That was a mistake.”

“You just lost your job, buddy,” a user wrote on the post.

One fan attempted to resolve the situation:

“He was trying to say “coordinator” and he ended up saying “coordinaGor” … stop blowing shit out of proportion.”

The reactions have reached Kessenich's social media as well:

ESPN and Quint Kessenich are yet to comment on the situation.

---

Jeff Lebby assumes the position left by Zach Arnett

Lebby, 39, steps into the MSU role vacated by Zach Arnett, who was let go on Nov. 13 after a 4-6 start in his inaugural season at the helm.

Jeff Lebby's move coincides with Oklahoma Sooners' preparations to join the Southeastern Conference in 2024 alongside Texas.

Lebby, along with his wife Staley, daughter Kora and son Kane, beheld the fan base he now leads as a maroon carpet unfolded in front of Mississippi State's private plane.

“People understand what we’ve done in the past," Jeff Lebby said. "We’re going to be a football team that scores a bunch of points.”

The reception for Jeff Lebby in Starkville extends into Monday, where he will be presented at 7:30 p.m. CT outside the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex, followed by a subsequent news conference.