Paul Finebaum Reacts To Mississippi State's 'Fantastic' Coaching Hire

ESPN's Paul Finebaum is a big fan of what Mississippi State did this week hiring Oklahoma's Jeff Lebby.

During his regular appearance on "McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning," the SEC Network personality couldn't be more complementary of the Bulldogs' decision.

I like him very much. I think it's a fantastic hire. I think State really got the man they wanted. I don't know whether A&M can say that. I haven't, I don't — I haven't seen the autopsy on the entire coaching search yet. But I have a sense of it. It seems like Jeff Lebby was always in the mix. He's been in the mix for a couple of days. I've heard Greg talk about him countless times, in terms of how he feels about him offensively. I think State is in considerably better shape than they were three or four weeks ago, when there was uncertainty about Zach Arnett's future.

Lebby is similarly fired up to be in Starkville, releasing a statement via press release shortly after the announcement of the move.

"Being the head coach at Mississippi State is the opportunity of a lifetime," Lebby began. "My family and I are fired up to engrain ourselves in this community, build relationships with our players, and hit the recruiting trail. This is a special place with special people and a football program with a storied tradition."

"I couldn't be more thrilled to add our dynamic offensive scheme to an NFL powerhouse with a nationally regarded history of elite defensive play," he continued. "I can't wait to lead Mississippi State football into the future, while competing in college football's premier conference. Hail State!"

It'll be fun to see what the former Sooners OC can accomplish in SEC Country.