Jeff Lebby – Hot Seat
Mississippi State has been between a “rock and a hard place”. After the passing of Mike Leach, Zach Arnett was named head coach, which later transitioned to the Jeff Lebby era. Going into his third year, Lebby is 7-18. Despite only having 5 wins in 2025, they did sneak into a bowl game (which they lost) and had a conference record of 1-7. Lebby has to show something, or they will be hiring a new coach halfway through the year.
Shane Beamer – Getting Hot
When Shane Beamer was hired, it seemed perfect. Beamer has been “okay,” but unfortunately their floor for a season is lower than South Carolina would like. Last year the Gamecocks went 4-8 and also went 5-7 three years ago, with a 9-win record in between. The seat is getting hot, and a few tough losses could send Beamer packing in Columbia.
Brent Venables – Cooled Off but Can Get Hot Quick
The Venables tenure is intriguing. He was hired after Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma for Southern Cal. Venables is 32-20 with two 10-win seasons and two 6-win seasons. After making the College Football Playoff last season, his seat did cool off, but another down year is going to warm things up again.
