Grade the job Lebby did as head coach in 2024.

[Coursesuper]

C, kept the team together in the middle of a shit storm he was handed. Had to deal with an undersized freshman QB and patchwork line. Almost no talent at all on Defense with zero d line. Hard to coach that up in the SEC. Now he has to go get players. Still two years away from competing.

[Todd4State]

I think F is fair as a grade honestly. I don't care how bad our talent is we shouldn't be losing to Toledo. And I don't care who did what during Leach and Arnett's time there is no way our talent is 130th in the country bad on defense.

But that said Lebby is going to get a chance to correct this in the offseason and that's critical for him to get it right.

1. First and foremost we need more talent. This isn't an either or with coaches and talent. It's both. The only way to fix it is to recruit well out of the portal. This is the most critical thing Lebby needs to do right because if he doesn't he could be 2 and done here. He needs to bring in enough to at least get to 6-6 next year.

2. And because it's not either or with coaches and talent he needs to address his coaching staff. We need a legit DC and a new defensive staff. We need a new offensive line coach. Defense and offensive line killed this team.

3. Lebby may want to consider hiring an OC to help like Dan did with Les Koenning and Brian Johnson. Even Leach had Spurrier, Jr helping at times.

[Quaoarsking]

Dude thats fine, but direct your anger where it?s due. Lebby was hired late Nov 2023, not much you can do to build a roster then. I would agree with you if its year 2, but you have to give him a chance to build a roster to even know if he can coach

That's pre-Portal/NIL thinking. The world is different now.

[Quaoarsking]

C, kept the team together in the middle of a shit storm he was handed. Had to deal with an undersized freshman QB and patchwork line. Almost no talent at all on Defense with zero d line. Hard to coach that up in the SEC. Now he has to go get players. Still two years away from competing.

No, if we aren't "competing" next year he won't get a third year.

[Todd4State]

That's pre-Portal/NIL thinking. The world is different now.

If Lebby doesn't make the correct decisions in the offseason we could be looking at a Chad Morris situation here.

[EdwardDrayton]

Don't want it to be for his sake but it's an F.

And there are multiple reasons. But the results certainly top the list. 2-10, 0-8 is just impossible to explain away. And if it's gone unnoticed, Toledo lost to JoMo this week. 17 me.

[HoopsDawg]

Don't want it to be for his sake but it's an F.

And there are multiple reasons. But the results certainly top the list. 2-10, 0-8 is just impossible to explain away. And if it's gone unnoticed, Toledo lost to JoMo this week. 17 me.

All 8 SEC losses by double digits.

[Ranchdawg]

A “F” for no other reason than losing and losing badly at home to Toledo! Wow that was bad.

[parabrave]

I think F is fair as a grade honestly. I don't care how bad our talent is we shouldn't be losing to Toledo. And I don't care who did what during Leach and Arnett's time there is no way our talent is 130th in the country bad on defense.

But that said Lebby is going to get a chance to correct this in the offseason and that's critical for him to get it right.

1. First and foremost we need more talent. This isn't an either or with coaches and talent. It's both. The only way to fix it is to recruit well out of the portal. This is the most critical thing Lebby needs to do right because if he doesn't he could be 2 and done here. He needs to bring in enough to at least get to 6-6 next year.

2. And because it's not either or with coaches and talent he needs to address his coaching staff. We need a legit DC and a new defensive staff. We need a new offensive line coach. Defense and offensive line killed this team.

3. Lebby may want to consider hiring an OC to help like Dan did with Les Koenning and Brian Johnson. Even Leach had Spurrier, Jr helping at times.

1. Next season grades start tomorrow. Want to see what positions he prioritizes and what coaches he fires.

3. At least hire a QB Coach who can teach.

[Goldendawg]

F and I saw this coming after Toledo, as I predicted Tech and 10 to my late SuperDog Dad. What, if anything was the building of a foundation in this joke of a season? Arnett and his merry band went 5-7 and were less incompetent than this. First season since 2002 without a SEC win. Every team on our schedule in 2025 will have us circled as a win including OOC foes and why shouldn't they? Going to be plenty of season tickets available next year in prime seating areas.

[Walkerhill]

Incomplete. We outperformed our talent level in many games but never pulled any out. Team has to learn how to win and the Toledo game was the biggest stinker in years.

Based on the what we know right now it is F. But, one way or the other, most of the portal activity going into next year is likely complete but not yet public. If he laid the foundation to keep most of our core returning talent and add the right portal pieces then I would give him a solid B for holding it together through multiple fronts through the crap storm we have experienced.

He needs 6 next year in a tough schedule. He has already put himself in position to do it or he hasn’t. We will know in the next few weeks.

[Goldendawg]

1. Next season grades start tomorrow. Want to see what positions he prioritizes and what coaches he fires.

3. At least hire a QB Coach who can teach.

He will fire no one. Glancing at him on the sideline, I see JoMo 2.0. A good OC when he has talent , but no wy a SEC HC and certainy not a "On the Job Training" one who hires a friend to be an "On the Job Training" DC. Got an "On the Job Training" AD again also. Who signs off on this decade after decade?

[CarolinaDawgs]

We went 5-7 last year with wins over Arizona and Arkansas. And we beat our MAC opponent (Western Michigan). So no, we were definitely less competitive this year.

We won those games with players on the defensive side which we have 0 of. You cannot be that dense? We looked uncompetitive last year in every game other than our ?big wins? (which btw are shat looking back)

This team competed their ass off with no ****ing reason to do so. He can catch a D at worst for that

[CarolinaDawgs]

Oh and by the way Quasorqueen

Stick to basketball. You are goated at that.

[Goldendawg]

Incomplete. We outperformed our talent level in many games but never pulled any out. Team has to learn how to win and the Toledo game was the biggest stinker in years.

Based on the what we know right now it is F. But, one way or the other, most of the portal activity going into next year is likely complete but not yet public. If he laid the foundation to keep most of our core returning talent and add the right portal pieces then I would give him a solid B for holding it together through multiple fronts through the crap storm we have experienced.

He needs 6 next year in a tough schedule. He has already put himself in position to do it or he hasn’t. We will know in the next few weeks.

Tell me who our "core returning talent" is? Outside of Coleman and Smith who could start for another SEC team?

[Walkerhill]

He will fire no one. Glancing at him on the sideline, I see JoMo 2.0. A good OC when he has talent , but no wy a SEC HC and certainy not a "On the Job Training" one who hires a friend to be an "On the Job Training" DC. Got an "On the Job Training" AD again also. Who signs off on this decade after decade?

Multiple parts of this seem like a bad take. Totally different demeanor on the sideline from JoeMo. JoeMo had outstanding talent - imo they were a top 10 team with elite talent in defense and maybe a dark horse in the national title conversation. And they vastly underperformed that talent level, and at times effort and toughness were questionable. That is not what we saw this year.

And I would be absolutely shocked and disappointed if we see no changes at all on the staff. No reason to do it in-season but there will be some staff turnover. Hutzler is a good recruiter and linebacker coach so maybe you can roll with that especially if you are paying for it anyway but we have to see an experienced coordinator that can scheme and call plays at an SEC level. The DL and OL line coaches should not feel too comfortable right now either.

[Walkerhill]

MVB was extraordinary as a true freshman imo, especially given the porous line in front of him. You can build around him and we should. He has that ‘it factor’. - he will shine somewhere as a college qb and I hope it is at State. He Will’s definitely have other offers. Other folks will shout portal qb but I disagree.
I am good with Luke Work and Albert Reese in the rotation.

You want to keep Jackson and Pounders in the rotation at OLine - if they take a step forward developmentally they can really help you and if not they are battle tested depth/rotation guys.

On defense you need an entirely new D Line but Jennings and Blanton at LB and Smith and Pollock are pieces you can build on.

Traore with continued development especially as a blocker.

Those players plus Coleman and Smith are the core I was thinking of.

[viverlibre]

Overall, F-. As OC, C-.

[Coach34]

Dude thats fine, but direct your anger where it?s due. Lebby was hired late Nov 2023, not much you can do to build a roster then. I would agree with you if its year 2, but you have to give him a chance to build a roster to even know if he can coach

Certainly was an F

To your point- every school in the country starts with NIL in acquiring free agents. He had already been apart of seeing payers while at OU. Recruiting transfers after the season is short term recruiting for 98% of players. Terrible job in Y1 for Lebbo

[Bothrops]

C- First time HC is tough. It's really ****ing tough at Mississippi State. Now it's tougher than ever. The good- Lebby brought in a decent transfer QB, won out for a coveted HS qb, and brought in WRs we aren't used to having here..which could be a one time deal here. But he's generally a good playcaller.

The bad- the OL attempt failed, and the transfer qb is injury prone. That kneecapped us for sure. The defensive front was handicapped all season. No pass rush. No posers even. Schematically not a match with personnel. Hiring a position coach to first time DC is never going to work in the SEC. Never going to work that first year. Defensive recruiting was a glaring failure in 2024.

We will see if he can reboot the team after the portal season but I give him some leeway on the grade because most coaches would fall flat on their face with this defensive roster.