Jeff Lebby to Mississippi State gets big approval from Paul Finebaum as veteran analyst drops his insights behind the move

The Mississippi State Bulldogs announced Jeff Lebby as their new head coach just a day after their 2023 regular season drew to a close. He replaces Zach Arnett, who was fired earlier in the season following a poor run of results.

This will be the first time Lebby will serve as a head coach for a college program.

While some have questioned the appointment, ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum made one of his regular appearances on 'McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning' on Tuesday and lauded the Mississippi State Bulldogs for appointing Jeff Lebby as their new head coach. He said:

"I like him [Lebby] very much. I think it's a fantastic hire. I think State really got the man they wanted. I don't know whether A&M can say that. I haven't, I don't — I haven't seen the autopsy on the entire coaching search yet. But I have a sense of it. It seems like Jeff Lebby was always in the mix. He's been in the mix for a couple of days. I’ve heard Greg Knox talk about him countless times, in terms of how he feels about him offensively."

"I think State is in considerably better shape than they were three or four weeks ago, when there was uncertainty about Zach Arnett’s future," Finebaum added.

Lebby is widely regarded as one of the best offensive tacticians in college football.

Over the past four years, he has built a strong reputation, having served as the offensive coordinator for Oklahoma, Ole Miss and UCF. During that time, Lebby coordinated offenses that scored 50 or more points 14 times.

Contract details of the new Mississippi State HC Jeff Lebby

Mississippi State Bulldogs HC Jeff Lebby

Per reports, Jeff Lebby signed a five-year contract with the Bulldogs and will earn around $4.51 million annually.

He also has a few lucrative bonuses in his deal, including a reported $250,000 reward for winning the SEC title, $250,000 for participating in the College Football Playoff, $750,000 for making an appearance in the national title game and $1 million if he wins the national championship with Mississippi State.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-7, 1-7) finished sixth in the SEC West and need a spark in their offense. They hope Lebby can guide them to success in the next few seasons.