Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby will be eager to beat Texas this weekend, not just because they are ranked No. 1, but because his alma mater is located just across the Red River.

The rivalry runs deep in Lebby’s history. Lebby was an offensive lineman for the Oklahoma Sooners when he was in college and while his playing career was cut short by an injury, he stayed with the team as a student assistant until he graduated in 2007.

For the last two years, Lebby worked for Oklahoma as its offensive coordinator. His explosive offensive strategy led Oklahoma to be ranked No. 3 nationally in its scoring offense, with 43.2 points per game. Oklahoma was responsible for taking down a strong Texas team 34-30 last year.

Although he was doing well in the offensive coordinator position at Oklahoma, when Lebby was offered the head coach position at Mississippi State, he couldn’t refuse.

“Being the head coach at Mississippi State is the opportunity of a lifetime,” Lebby said in a statement when he was hired. “My family and I are fired up to ingrain ourselves in this community, build relationships with our players and hit the recruiting trail.”

Mississippi State has had some turmoil with its head coach position over the last two years.

When former head coach Mike Leach passed away unexpectedly in 2022 from complications related to a heart condition, the program took a hit. Zach Arnett took over as head coach but failed to perform and was fired with two games left in the season.

As expected with a new head coach, Lebby is still learning the ropes of the position and the team. He is known for his innovative offensive tactics, having worked in offensive coaching positions for the last 16 years at Baylor, Southeastern, UCF, Ole Miss and Oklahoma.

But his team hasn’t started the season strong. The Bulldogs are currently 1–3, having lost to three unranked teams: Arizona State, Toledo and Florida.

Part of their issues have been the number of injuries to their roster, including starting quarterback Blake Shapen, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury against Florida. While this does not give a good indication for the rest of the season, true-freshman Michael Van Buren Jr. is taking the lead, so Lebby will have a chance to develop him to suit his playbook.

Despite their struggles, the offense has had shining moments of potential, showing off Lebby’s skill. In all four games, the Bulldogs have put at least two touchdowns on the board.

With their record already down and with it being Lebby’s rebuilding year, Lebby doesn’t have much to lose.