Oklahoma football: Is offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby staying or going?

Alabama’s Nick Saban is looking for an offensive coordinator and Oklahoma football offensive head Jeff Lebby is one of the names that is being talked about a lot as a candidate.

The Bama job became open when former OC Bill O’Brien left recently to take the same job in the NFL under New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

The offensive coordinator job at Alabama has been somewhat of a revolving door in recent years, but it has also served as a launching pad to a head-coaching job at another major program.

Names like Lane Kiffen, now head coach at Ole Miss, Steve Sarkisian, now the head guy at Texas, and Brian Daboll, now head coach of the New York Jets in the NFL, have passed through door.

It’s pretty safe to say that working as a coordinator under Nick Saban is a strong stepping stone to a head-coaching job. It’s also safe to say when Saban or Alabama go looking for an offensive or defensive coordinator they can get whoever they want.

Even before it became official the O’Brien was leaving the Crimson Tide after two seasons to return to the NFL, everyone knew he would not be returning to Alabama for a third season and so the social media message boards began lighting up with potential candidates to replace him in Tuscaloosa. Lebby’s name was one of the more prominent ones being floated.

The rumor mill being what it is has brought some concern in and around Sooner Nation about Lebby’s future, particularly if the rumors are true and Lebby becomes a serious candidate for the Alabama job.

Two things to clear up here. As far as we know Lebby has not been contacted by Saban about the job. The other side of that coin is would he be interested in the job if contacted. After all, the opportunity to work under Saban and for one of the best teams in the country year after year would be hard to ignore.

It’s probably unrealistic, however, to think that Lebby will stay at OU forever, even if he is an Oklahoma alum. The truth is, the Sooners’ offense again led the Big 12 in Lebby’s initial season as offensive coordinator, despite OU’s sub-par season record. The Sooner offense ranked in the top15 nationally in both total offense and rushing offense and was 42nd in passing.

I believe Lebby likes where he is and likes working for Brent Venables. He also was the primary force in getting Dillon Gabriel to come to Oklahoma as well, as five-star 2023 quarterback recruit Jackson Arnold, considered the Sooners’ future starting quarterback. Those relationships are strong and enough to keep Lebby in his present job for the immediate future.

The one variable that could trump all of this, of course, is the financial consideration. Money talks, and if Alabama, or any other school for that matter, were willing to put a substantially larger amount of money on the table than he is currently making, all bets are off on what Lebby might do. Otherwise, the Alabama job is really nothing more than a lateral move.

My guess is that Jeff Lebby’s next career move or reason to leave Oklahoma will be to accept a head-coaching position.

More good news for Sooner fans who might be concerned about Lebby leaving was reported in the news this week. ESPN and several other reputable sources are reporting that former Notre Dame quarterback and current offensive coordinator has emerged as the top candidate to take the same job under Nick Saban at Alabama.

Until someone is formally signed as Bama’s new offensive coordinator, however, the list of propective candidates remains open, as does the job opening.