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.” They 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.
