Next Up with Adam Breneman From 2–10 to SEC Contender: Jeff Lebby’s Mississippi State Rebuild
This week on Next Up with Adam Breneman, Mississippi State Head Coach Jeff Lebby joins the show to talk about the journey of rebuilding a program in the heart of the SEC. From taking over a team that had seen four head coaches in five years, to bringing in more than 60 new players and creating instant belief, Lebby opens up on how he’s building stability and momentum in Starkville.
He shares what it means to shape the identity of Mississippi State Football around effort, physicality, and execution, and why he leans on tempo and explosiveness to make opponents “defend every blade of grass.” We dive into recruiting battles in the South, the role football plays in growing the Starkville community, and why alignment with the administration has been critical to the program’s rise.
Coach Lebby also reflects on the lessons from a 2–10 season, the importance of preparing his players for life beyond football, and his personal “why” that keeps him grounded through it all. It’s a candid look at what it takes to build a program in today’s college football.
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CHAPTERS:
0:00 - Intro
:50 - Reflections of first years at Mississippi State
2:24 - First adjustments when taking Head Coaching job
3:32 - Why Mississippi State
4:40 - First year at Mississippi State
6:45 - Momentum at Mississippi State
7:54 - Getting buy-in from transfer portal players
10:25 - Reflecting on 2-10 year
11:40 - Identity of Mississippi State Football
12:28 - Investment from University into football program
13:47 - Spring ball
14:40 - Installing Coach Lebby’s Offense
15:47 - Talent acquisition at Mississippi State
17:07 - Tennessee matchup preview
18:00 - Locker room after beating ASU
18:49 - Dealing with outside noise
19:46 - Approach to analytics
20:53 - Day in the life
22:48 - Growth of Starkville
23:37 - Preparing players for life after football
24:47 - Traits Coach Lebby looks for in young coaches
25:53 - Non-negotiables for recruits and portal players
26:45 - Coach Lebby’s Legacy
27:20 - Future of Mississippi State
28:07 - Coach Lebby’s why
On Next Up, college football analyst Adam Breneman sits down with the most influential names in college sports and lets them tell their stories unfiltered, direct to the fans.
Next Up is a Front Office Sports Network show featuring candid, open, and honest conversations with the most impactful figures in college sports including head coaches, athletes, athletic directors, commissioners, entrepreneurs, media personalities, agents, and executives shaping the business of college sports.
Adam is a former All-American, Penn State alum and media personality. Front Office Sports is the leading multi-platform media and news organization covering the intersection of sports, business and culture.