If Lebby goes 5-7, which naysayers will admit

[paindonthurt]

He’s a decent coach?

I mean honestly 4-8 should get you to say it or consider it.

What has to happen this year for you to consider him a decent hire?

 

[85Bears]

Extension and a raise. Maybe a ten year deal.

 

[QuaoarsKing]

4-8 is not good enough in the Portal Era. There's no such thing as a multi-year rebuild anymore. If he can't amass the talent and get us to a bowl this year, why would we expect him to do it next year or any future year?

I can't promise that Lebby gets fired if he goes 4-8, but I wouldn't expect him to ever be good if he's not.

 

[M R DAWGS]

5-7 or bust. He chose to keep the same clueless DC that we had last year.

I don’t think we want to remember how poorly that defense was coached. And yet, we’ll get to watch it again this year.

Win 5 games or gtfo.

 

[ZombieKissinger]

4-8 is probably a neutral opinion given our schedule. 5+ with this schedule would be good unless some teams are way worse than expected. He couldn’t afford to regress from there though

 

[Shmuley]

All he needs is 4 wins and 2 moral victories.

 

[FreeDawg]

5 would make me apathetic for another year. Nothing exciting about winning 5 games. It’s just sucking less

 

[tenureplan]

I will never agree he's a good coach, like ive said numerous times he probably doesn't know what asparagus is.

 

[QuaoarsKing]

4-8 is not good enough in the Portal Era. There's no such thing as a multi-year rebuild anymore. If he can't amass the talent and get us to a bowl this year, why would we expect him to do it next year or any future year?

I can't promise that Lebby gets fired if he goes 4-8, but I wouldn't expect him to ever be good if he's not.

To expand a bit on this, I think you could come up with a scenario where Arizona State is a close loss, we finish 5-7 (2-6), especially with a win over Ole Miss, and we tell ourselves that this schedule was harder than average, and Lebby has demonstrated that he might be a guy who can get us into a bowl game more often than not. Maybe it even inspires some increased NIL funding and we can see how 2026 goes.

But if it's 4-8 (1-7) or worse, what's going to make me think Lebby is ever going to get it done? No matter what happens this year, he'll have to restock in the transfer portal next offseason. If Lebby can only lead our program, with our various advantages and disadvantages, to 4-8 or worse in 2025, why would I expect 2026 to be better?

 

[ababyatemydingo]

TN is absolutely beatable this year. They lost a lot, including their DA QB, who asked for way too much money, and they cut him loose. Mizzou is beatable this year. They also lost a lot and will not be as good as last year. It's in Columbia, though. OM is always a crap shoot, and is in Starkville. I could see 3-9. I could see 6-6, if we beat AZ state.

 

[AttillaTheDog]

He’s a decent coach?

I mean honestly 4-8 should get you to say it or consider it.

What has to happen this year for you to consider him a decent hire

He’s a decent coach?

I mean honestly 4-8 should get you to say it or consider it.

What has to happen this year for you to consider him a decent hire?

Nothing against him, but he aint got IT,

 

[FreeDawg]

I will never agree he's a good coach, like ive said numerous times he probably doesn't know what asparagus is.

If he won 7, 2 seasons from now I’d say he was a good hire but who can be excited to maybe be above average in 2 years…

 

[CaptainFalcon]

I’ve never disliked the idea of Lebby, I’m a big fan of his style of offense. I think his staff hires are the big negative to this point and that’s enough to kill a coaching tenure If you never get the staff right.

I think most of our fans would take a 2009 type competitive 5-7 in a heartbeat. That’s the biggest thing, just make us at least interesting again. The last two years have been non competitive and non interesting.

 

[paindonthurt]

5 would make me apathetic for another year. Nothing exciting about winning 5 games. It’s just sucking less

So you weren’t excited when Mullen went 5-7 in his first year?

 

[paindonthurt]

I will never agree he's a good coach, like ive said numerous times he probably doesn't know what asparagus is.

Sounds intelligent

 

[paindonthurt]

I’ve never disliked the idea of Lebby, I’m a big fan of his style of offense. I think his staff hires are the big negative to this point and that’s enough to kill a coaching tenure If you never get the staff right.

I think most of our fans would take a 2009 type competitive 5-7 in a heartbeat. That’s the biggest thing, just make us at least interesting again. The last two years have been non competitive and non interesting.

I agree with this to an extent but I don’t think anyone (know matter what the blabbering idiots day) know whether our defensive staff is good or not.

Our talent was the worst it’s ever been on defense in 30 plus years. Maybe ever like since we fielded a team. Relative to competition including weak smaller schools.

2 years ago was arnett and I think a lot of what arnett did is kind of being held against Lebby due to timing.

 

[GloryDawg]

Doesn't matter with five wins. He will not be fired but 4 wins and they look like crap it could be different story. Age of Portal has change everything when it come to keeping a coach.

 

[tenureplan]

TN is absolutely beatable this year. They lost a lot, including their DA QB, who asked for way too much money, and they cut him loose. Mizzou is beatable this year. They also lost a lot and will not be as good as last year. It's in Columbia, though. OM is always a crap shoot, and is in Starkville. I could see 3-9. I could see 6-6, if we beat AZ state.

Sounds intelligent

Ikr, who doesn't know what asparagus is. From hearing him speak one can ascertain that he doesn't really have it between the ears. If it is unintelligent of me to make that observation then so be it. Remember Croom won 8 once

 

[paindonthurt]

Ikr, who doesn't know what asparagus is. From hearing him speak one can ascertain that he doesn't really have it between the ears. If it is unintelligent of me to make that observation then so be it. Remember Croom won 8 once

Like I said….

#LowIQ

 

[johnson86-1]

5 would make me apathetic for another year. Nothing exciting about winning 5 games. It’s just sucking less

I don’t necessarily disagree but 5 wins this year would be comparable to Mullen’s first year.

 

[HotMop]

If we lose to Arizona State we should fire him.

 

[Anon1665155225]

He’s a decent coach?

I mean honestly 4-8 should get you to say it or consider it.

What has to happen this year for you to consider him a decent hire?

1) As soon as he opened his mouth at the introductory press conference I knew he was an idiot

2) An ole miss acquaintance that is a “he w h o r e” that recruits money for a “fund” has known him for awhile. “Lebby’s alright. He’s a young Jackie”. Kiss of death.

 

[Called3rdstrikedawg]

So you weren’t excited when Mullen went 5-7 in his first year?

Damn Boy! Mullen went 5-7 and darn near 6-6 with the crap Crooked Cap Croom left him and the year after that won 9 still having to play half of Crooms 2008. Stiffs.

Lebby drove Arnett's 5-7 Chevy straight over a cliff into the abyss!
Lots of differences there!

 

[ckDOG]

Which 5 teams are we beating with our most expensive roster ever assembled?

 

[CaptainFalcon]

I agree with this to an extent but I don’t think anyone (know matter what the blabbering idiots day) know whether our defensive staff is good or not.

Our talent was the worst it’s ever been on defense in 30 plus years. Maybe ever like since we fielded a team. Relative to competition including weak smaller schools.

2 years ago was arnett and I think a lot of what arnett did is kind of being held against Lebby due to timing.

Hutzler may in time become a good DC. But I will always think it was a bizarre hire for a first time head coach in a major rebuild to also hire a first time DC.

We should be better defensively this year but I’m not sure better equals good. Improved DT and LB play should have us better against the run but the CB room is Sun Belt quality and if we can’t find a pass rush, we are going to have major problems against the pass. And the pass rush issue is at best an unknown:

The most likely outcome is this season we improve but not drastically and there are a number of staff changes on defense this offseason.

 

[Howiefeltersnstch]

I would be satisfied with 5 and 7. He will grow into being a head ciach in time. As Coleman will grow into a DC. And some schools can flip a roster in one season but I dont think we are one of those. This schedule is brutal.

 

[Indndawg]

5 wins=we should be happy
4 wins and competitive and showing a trajectory of getting better=happy but demand some changes in staff
0-3 wins-fired
+5 wins and bowl=extend him
+7 wins=statue

 

[ETK99]

4 games, he's a maybe
5 games I'm all in

 

[golferdog]

4-8 at minimum with a win over an SEC team to retain him for year 3. If that happens, he must win 6-7 in 2026.
5-7 would be a good year imo with this roster and schedule. We just don't have a lot of talent. We'll see what the coaches are made of now that they have more depth and talent.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

5 would make me apathetic for another year. Nothing exciting about winning 5 games. It’s just sucking less

This.

If people get excited over a 5-win season, I’d be wondering about their kool-aid consumption…

 

[Maroon Eagle]

I think most of our fans would take a 2009 type competitive 5-7 in a heartbeat. That’s the biggest thing, just make us at least interesting again. The last two years have been non competitive and non interesting.

Yeah, the easy comp here is 2009 Mullens.

And he wasn’t happy with the record and Diaz came in to be DC in place of Torbush.

And Lebby kept Hertzler?

 

[OG Goat Holder]

This.

If people get excited over a 5-win season, I’d be wondering about their kool-aid consumption…

I don't get too caught up in sheer numbers. While fact, they don't always tell the whole story.

As always, it's about how we look and how we manuever the schedule.

You can spot dumb people easily when they say things like "Leach only muh won 3 games in muh 2020!!111" without the context of the 10 game SEC only schedule.

 

[THE Bruce Dickinson]

Arnett is a moron and it's obvious with his ridiculous sideline interviews and general behavior in the last 2 years. He was just OK as a DC too.

Like it or not this is year 1 with Lebby. Last year didn't count with the freaking terrible roster we had. We had 6 defensive lineman in the rotation and none of them were D1 quality. Vince Lombardi would have won 3 games with last year's team. Hopefully we have filled some of those holes with the portal.

As far as Lebby goes I do not know if he is the answer but I have far from given up on him. All I want to see is continuous improvement. If he goes 5-7 or 4-8 this year, that's improvement. The reason we are in the situation we are in right now is mostly due to instability in our head coach over the last 8 years. We showed some heart last year against some really good teams. Toledo was bad but let downs are part of the college game.

Unless we go 0-12 Lebby will be here in 2026. I am cautiously optimistic about this season. We need to be the most cautious about the Northern Illinois game. It's the classic let down game before Tennessee.

 

[BoDawg.sixpack]

Unless we go 0-12 Lebby will be here in 2026. I am cautiously optimistic about this season. We need to be the most cautious about the Northern Illinois game. It's the classic let down game before Tennessee.

If we only win two or three games, our home game attendance in the second half of the season will probably be lower than it was last year and that's going to be flat out embarrassing. Not so sure he survives that.

 

[Faustdog]

5 would make me apathetic for another year. Nothing exciting about winning 5 games. It’s just sucking less

Is that how you felt after Mullen's first year? And Mullen inherited some absolute studs/NFL guys on that team with Fletcher Cox, Kyle Love, Pernell McPhee, Anthony Dixon, Derrick Sherrod and possibly others I'm forgetting.

The cupboard was absolutely bare for Lebby.

 

[patdog]

It was a down year for the SEC & Arizona State. **

Seriously, if he goes 5-7 even I think he’s earned a 3rd year.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

He’s a decent coach?

I mean honestly 4-8 should get you to say it or consider it.

What has to happen this year for you to consider him a decent hire?

Product on the field. Year one under Mullen you could tell he was a good coach because our guys looked prepared and competed. We did not see that year one under Lebby.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Like it or not this is year 1 with Lebby. Last year didn't count with the freaking terrible roster we had. We had 6 defensive lineman in the rotation and none of them were D1 quality. Vince Lombardi would have won 3 games with last year's team. Hopefully we have filled some of those holes with the portal.

He created those holes by running off existing players and going and getting portal guys who couldn't play. This reality escapes so many of you because you want it to be true so badly. Croom used the same excuse to fleece us for 5 years' worth of salary. Those of us who lived through that garbage won't buy it again.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Product on the field. Year one under Mullen you could tell he was a good coach because our guys looked prepared and competed. We did not see that year one under Lebby.

Every time I see someone compare a 5-7 year this year to a 5-7 year that year, it's like a strobe light marking another idiot. Lately it's been like an LED light show in our fanbase, no pun intended.

 

[Faustdog]

Every time I see someone compare a 5-7 year this year to a 5-7 year that year, it's like a strobe light marking another idiot. Lately it's been like an LED light show in our fanbase, no pun intended.

Bull. Mullen inherited an infinitely better roster than Lebby. We were broken after the system overhaul/Arnett year. Mullen also also lost to Houston that year, who wasn't bad and probably is comparable to one of the better USM teams.