How Jeff Lebby sees opportunity for Mississippi State in 4 SEC coaches getting fired
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STARKVILLE — Mississippi State football not very long ago was the SEC program with instability.
Coach Mike Leach died unexpectedly in December 2022. His replacement, Zach Arnett, was fired midway through the 2023 season. Then the Bulldogs went 2-10 and winless in the SEC in 2024 in coach Jeff Lebby‘s first season.
But 2025 has been a turnaround for MSU, which dramatically beat Arkansas on Nov. 1 to snap its 16-game SEC losing streak.
Mississippi State (5-4, 1-4 SEC) needs to win just one of its last three games to reach a bowl game for the first time since 2022, starting with No. 5 Georgia (7-1, 5-1) at Davis Wade Stadium on Nov. 8 (11 a.m., ESPN).
There appears to finally be stability at Mississippi State in Lebby’s second season. Some other teams in the SEC aren’t in that position though. Four SEC coaches have been fired this season, most recently Auburn’s Hugh Freeze on Nov. 2, and more openings could still come.
That could be a benefit for Mississippi State as it also builds for the future.
“I think there’s so much uncertainty in a lot of other places right now,” Lebby said on Nov. 3. “There hasn’t been stability here as we’ve talked about a lot in the first year and a half. With the ability to have stability, you see us taking the right steps. We got to continue to find ways to win. That’s the most important thing.”
Mississippi State recruiting could benefit from SEC coaches fired
Although Mississippi State is one win from bowl eligibility, the recruiting class hasn’t caught up. The 2026 class is ranked No. 48 nationally and No. 14 in the SEC, according to the 247Sports Composite, and doesn’t contain a single four-star.
As with any coach firing, there are ripple effects in recruiting and roster makeup. There are Mississippi ties to all four of the SEC teams who have fired their coaches: Auburn, LSU, Florida and Arkansas. Could MSU flip a commitment from a Mississippi native?
There’s the transfer portal, too. Could MSU bring back an impactful Mississippian?
“There’s going to be a lot of high school kids that are committed to other places that there’s great uncertainty if they end up staying committed to where they are going because of the way signing day hits, how the end of the season hits and the way the cycle is going to work with championship games and playoffs,” Lebby said. “We got to take great advantage of that. We got to upgrade the roster. We got to be incredibly aggressive to go get the guys we need.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for us to go get some big-time marquee players. I think we all understand what that takes and what that means. We’ve got to strike while we can.”
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State, Jeff Lebby can benefit from 4 SEC coaches fired
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