Mississippi State fired offensive line coach Phil Loadholt and special teams coordinator Cliff Odom on Sunday, a day after a humiliating 41-9 home loss to Auburn, the Bulldogs’ sixth loss in a row.
The firings leave Mississippi State with one big pointed question — why is the head coach who hired both men still employed?
Jeff Lebby made the moves, first reported by Robbie Faulk of State 1878 and confirmed by a program spokesperson to the Clarion Ledger. Loadholt, a former Oklahoma All-American and seven-year NFL starter, arrived in December 2024 after one season coaching Colorado’s offensive line.
In two years in Starkville, Loadholt’s unit made only minimal progress. The Bulldogs have allowed the second-most sacks in the SEC this season. Quarterback Kamario Taylor is finished for the year, and AJ Swann suffered an injury against Auburn.
Odom came aboard in December 2023, reuniting with Lebby after their time together at UCF. Specific reasons for his dismissal have not been made public.
As recently as Nov. 9, Lebby said he was not considering in-season staff changes and preferred to evaluate at year’s end. Both coaches were on expiring contracts, Loadholt at $700,000, the second-highest salary among assistants, and Odom at a reported $400,000.
Mississippi State Bulldogs Bowl Hopes After Kamario Taylor Injury
Lebby entered his third season on multiple hot-seat lists after a 5-8 finish in 2025. Expectations were modest, with preseason win totals around the mid-4s in some models.
The Bulldogs started 4-0 and peaked at No. 16 with wins at Minnesota, at South Carolina and at home against No. 19 Missouri. Taylor posted 1,460 yards with 17 touchdowns and four interceptions, and the team averaged about 31 points a game with him.
Then came the toe injury he sustained against Missouri. Taylor aggravated it later and underwent season-ending surgery Oct. 28. Without him, the offense fell to roughly 10 points a game, and the quarterback job cycled through three players. Six straight losses followed, starting with Alabama and LSU.
Mississippi State is 4-6 overall and 2-6 in the SEC, with two games left: home against Tennessee Tech on Nov. 21 and the Egg Bowl at Ole Miss on Nov. 27. Ole Miss is 6-4 and ranked in the high teens.
Bowl eligibility requires six wins, which means sweeping both games to finish 6-6. A 5-7 team can still land a bid through Academic Progress Rate rankings or when higher-win teams opt out. That is how Mississippi State reached the Duke’s Mayo Bowl last season at 5-7. Win-probability models put the Bulldogs’ bowl-eligibility odds in the low teens, up to about 15%.
Why Jeff Lebby Is Still Mississippi State’s Head Coach
Lebby is in the third year of a five-year contract that pays $4.5 million in 2026 and rises $150,000 annually, and he is signed for two more seasons. Firing him after the regular season would cost about $7.65 million, 75% of remaining salary.
The program has also committed to its quarterback. Taylor is finalizing a deal worth about $7.5 million to return in 2027, and he has said publicly he believes in Lebby and wants to play for him. Together, the two commitments make a firing now costly and disruptive, according to the Clarion Ledger.
Lebby addressed the pressure on his job after the Auburn loss. “That’s my job… not good enough,” Lebby said, as quoted by the Clarion Ledger. Lebby said he feels the need to change the outcomes but is focused on performance rather than his job security.
The staff firings are his first in-season. Lebby previously waited until seasons ended, dismissing defensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler after 2025 and hiring Zach Arnett. His record at Mississippi State is 11-24, including 3-21 in SEC play.
The Bulldogs have six days to reorganize the offensive line and special teams before Tennessee Tech arrives Saturday.
Mississippi State Fires Coaches After Auburn Loss, but Not Jeff Lebby