Dallas, Texas – July 17, 2024 – Arthur Davis II
SEC Media Days continued with Session 1 which was headlined by Alabama Head Coach Kalen DeBoer and Mississippi State Head Coach Jeff Lebby. Day 3 was wrapped up with session 2, Florida Head Coach Billy Napie and Texas Head Coach Steve Sarkisian gave updates on their programs. Our notes on the day are below.
Alabama Head Football Coach Kalen DeBoer
- Fist year as Head Coach, replace Nick Saban after 17 seasons leading the Tide
- Fourth head coaching job (Sioux Falls (NAIA), Fresno State, Washington) 104-12 as a head coach overall
- Played baseball and football at Sioux Falls (Records in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown catches, All American as a player
- Originally from South Dakota, one of two head men in the SEC from The Mount Rushmore State (Josh Heupel, Tennessee)
- 2023 FWAA Coach of the Year
- Alabama has seven home games (SEC- Georgia, South Carolina, Missouri, Auburn) and five away games (SEC- Vanderbilt, Tennessee, LSU, Oklahoma)
- Crimson Tide returns five starters on offense and five on defense, as well as two specialists
- Coach DeBoer led Washington to Colplege Football Playoff in
Mississippi State Head Football Coach Jeff Lebby
- Jeff Lebby’s first year as a Head Coach
- Played offensive line at Oklahoma (Class of 2007)
- Ole Miss Offensive Coordinator on Lane Kiffin’s staff (2020-2021)
- Oklahoma Offensive Coordinator (2022-2023)
- State’s 2024 schedule includes seven home games (SEC- Florida, Texas A&M, Arkansas, and Missouri) and five road contests (SEC- Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, and Ole Miss)
- Open play against Eastern Kentucky in Starkville
- Open date between road games against Texas and Georgia
- Coach Lebby is building a culture in Starkville
- Anthony Tucker will serve as Assistant Head Coach, spent two seasons on staff with Coach Lebby at the University of Central Florida
- Lebby says the portal has opened JUCO recruiting up more and Mississippi State has been leveraging those available players
- Play at an extremely fast pace, will use helmet communication system as well as signals from the sideline
Texas Head Football Coach Steve Sarkisian
- Texas’ inaugural campaign in the SEC
- Head Man Steve Sarkisian enters his fourth campaign at the Longhorns’ helm
- Played QB AT BYU
- 11 years as a head coach 25-14 overall (12-2 in 2023)
- 2023 Big XII Champions
- Lost to Washington in college football semi final (Sugar Bowl, 37-31)
- 2023 Coach of the Year
- Sarkisian says Texas is “very deep” for 2024
- Same OC, DC, and ST coordinators for four consecutive years at Texas
- “Goal is to come in to this conference and compete for a conference championship.” Sarkisian on entering the SEC
- Sarkisian will continue to call the offensive plays
Florida Head Football Coach Billy Napie
- Coach Billy Napier goes into his third year as the head man for the Gators
- 2023 Gators finished the campaign 5-7 (SEC 3-5) Losses included falls to Utah, Kentucky, Georgia, Arkansas, LSU, Missouri, and Florida State (0-5 ending the season)
- 2024 schedule includes seven home games, four road contest, and one neutral site locale (SEC Texas A&M, @ Mississippi State, @ Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia,
@ Texas, LSU, and Ole Miss)
- 2024 strength of schedule is #1 in NCAA FCS (Out of conference opponents
Miami (Fl.), University of Central Florida, and Florida State University)
- 35 new players at Florida this season
- Overhauled sports nutrition program as well as strength and conditioning philosophy (Strength Coach Tyler Miles)
- Napier says Gators need to close games out in 2024, that was one of the biggest issues in 2023
- Key games for the Gators are Miami (Fl.), UCF, and Kentucky (All are home games)
