Oklahoma football rips Ole Miss OC Jeff Lebby away from Lane Kiffin in splash hire

Brent Venables newest hire is perfect for Oklahoma and for breaking the hearts of Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels.

By poaching Jeff Lebby off Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels staff, the Oklahoma football program has made a fantastic hire at offensive coordinator to kick off the new Brent Venables regime in Norman.

Getting the offensive coordinator right was so critical this offseason cycle for Oklahoma. Venables was a defensive institution at Clemson under Dabo Swinney, but the Sooners have cemented their reputation in Power Five for their high-octane offense. Lebby is an Oklahoma grad and has a deep connection to the program serving under Lincoln Riley’s predecessor Bob Stoops in the 2000s.

While Ole Miss should be fine, Kiffin has to adjust losing a top-flight offensive coach and recruiter.

Oklahoma football makes an incredible OC hire by landing Jeff Lebby

No, Lebby is not going to reinvent the wheel offensively in Norman, but what this hire signifies is Oklahoma will have the pieces in place on its staff to compete in the deep SEC. If you need proof of that, just look at the 2021 Ole Miss team. The Rebels went 10-2 and are heading to the Sugar Bowl to play Big 12 champion Baylor. Lebby was massive in Ole Miss and Matt Corral’s success.

Eventually, Lebby will end up leaving Norman a second time, but under totally different circumstances. He is a head-coaching candidate on the rise and could be one as early as next year’s cycle. While it probably is in his best interest to stay in Norman for at least a few years to make sure the Sooners can adjust to SEC life under Venables, this move will raise his profile.

With Lebby going to Oklahoma, this probably increases the chances of Caleb Williams staying.

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