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good morning Jeff Levy is entering his first season as the head football coach at Mississippi State University moving from the University of Oklahoma where he served as Oklahoma's offensive coordinator he's no stranger to the Southeastern Conference having served as an assistant coach on Lane kein staff at Old Miss he is an Oklahoma Alum an Oklahoma graduate where he played offensive line for the Sooners he graduated in 2007 moved during his playing time due to injury from an active player to a student assistant within the program he and his wife Staley have a daughter and a son I I have a note that while Jeff and his family are all popular within the Starkville Community we've got a source who's told us that Jeff may have become the second most recognizable member of his family as 6-year-old Cain this spring and summer is taken Starkville by storm which includes a resume that's being built around a Mississippi State baseball camp Home Run Derby Crown a Youth League World Series title and he already has perfected the skill of throwing the 20 yard out route welcome to the stage the head coach from Mississippi State University Jeff Levy [Music] commissioner thank you and and your spot on there Kane is uh he he has already stole the show he'll continue to to steal the show as as he will terrorize Starkville Mississippi for for many many years to come I'll piggy back off off of the commissioner and his opening statement as we started here I guess a couple of days ago but couldn't be more proud to be able to be here represent Mississippi State in Dallas Texas Dak City uh obviously one of the greatest to ever do it one that absolutely loves his university so Dak thank you but it is it's great to be here it's great to be in Dallas you look at it 7 months been here seven months and as we as we got boots on the ground we said hey what are the things that are going to be most important to us to make sure we go have a successful year one but also find a way to create this great foundation so we have the ability to go sustained and for us it was the guys knowing exactly what we expected of them as they walked in the building our guys knowing what they were going to get into the expectation the culture and I could not be more proud as we look up 7 months in and getting ready to start fall Camp inside of two weeks and our guys have taken to it they've taken to it and they've ran with it and our culture and who we are every single day and we talk about four things non-stop inside the program we talk about having fun being tough being competitive and then being accountable and and we break those things down in different ways but for me having fun in the doing that matters we've got 18 to 22 year old kids that need to have an incredible college experience these guys need to have a great experience while at State it's going to be incredibly hard doing what we do we understand that we get to do it with the best and against the best every single day all right nobody understands that more than I do but I want our people inside our building to have fun in the doing and so when they walk through those double doors every day they are able to pour into it just a little bit more because they enjoy the people they they're around they know that it's going to be incredibly hard it's going to be incredibly tough it's going to be difficult to go do what we we're going to do but having fun in the doing to me and for us as a culture is incredibly important toughness toughness travels this is a league that is built on toughness always has been always will be and I love that fact of of being able to lead our program uh in a way that creates opportunities to for guys to be tough Mississippi State built on toughness and and Edge and and those are things that that I'm incredibly proud of competitive the most competitive league in all of college football all right so how many different ways can we create a competitive situation a competitive scenario so that when we get to Saturday afternoon on on National Television you don't get surprised by a result so having competitive situations inside of everything that we're doing is a huge part of our program and our culture and then a culture of accountability being accountable to the guy next to you from a Staffing standpoint being accountable to the guy that you're sharing an office with or or sharing a wall with every single day and doing right by the people inside the building and I think when you talk about fun and tough and competitive and accountable then you immediately think about the three guys that I was able to bring with me today you know starting with uh two guys that have been at Mississippi State they've been through a lot all right over the last three years they coming together the same class offensive lineman who earns a starting job plate in all 12 games last year but here's a guy that earned a starting job through spring through toughness and and through this competitive Spirit of just getting better every single day Albert is a guy that embodies exactly what we want in offensive line play and Leadership inside that unit here's a guy that's a college graduate he's from Alberta heads to Tampa now he's made his way to Starkville Mississippi and is creating this great life for himself because he invests in himself every single day our inate guy that grew up a bulldog John Lewis again a guy that played 12 ball games for us last year has some experience but has earned this starting role through Spring football and he's done it through consistency and toughness and Leadership and accountability and Jay L's a guy very similar we get to town Crea a position change for him not playing on the line of scrimmage anymore stacking B playing as a second level player and this is a guy that has taken it and run with it and has accepted the change and been a guy that's going to play at a really high level but be a huge part of our program as we move this thing forward I think for all of us we understand being a QB guy calling the plays getting the right quarterback was something we had to get done and and we've got our guy I could not be more proud of of how Blake has gone about his business how he does what he does every single day I think when you talk about what we're going to look like from a team standpoint it's real similar to what we're going to look like at that position toughness physicality Edge uh being able to go Inspire your teammates to play better every single day and and that's what Blake's done he's put us in a position to get off the ground the way we need to and when I watched him play I said man that's our kind of guy that's my kind of guy and so having him year one has been huge so again couldn't I be more thankful to be here could not be more grateful to our Administration to have the opportunity to represent Mississippi State at SEC Med media days and with that we'll we'll open it up coach thank you for your opening comments if you have a question please raise your hand and microphone we'll get it to you please state your name and affiliation Grant Kylie and edley will be running the microphones for us today so coach we'll start right up here in front of me and the front row Bob here go how you doing hey je Bob hold tenside Dem CRI Gazette how how you doing good at a two-parter if that's okay um I think I read this right no returning stars on offense only two on defense I know it's a new staff but how daunting is that and then I saw this on social media so it must be true that Nick Sav said he tried to hire you to Alabama when he was at OU I wonder if you could kind of take us through that yeah part one of the question you know have talked about it a lot today already but you know the the clim of college football where we're at the the portal cycle that ended in December um was a huge part for for us having a chance to have success year one we're talking about our starting quarterback three of the five starting old lineman two receivers starting running back and then on the defensive side we'll have three starters from the from the portal as well so being able to get off the ground was a huge part of it that's not who we want to be we're going to create Edge and we're going to be able to sustain as a program because we've got great proximity to players we're going to be a developmental program we've got great junior colleges inside our state which is Advantage us and so those are things that as we move forward it will look a little bit different but for year one we got guys that'll go out there week one that have played a lot of ball just not a lot of ball at Davis Wade uh part two coach Sabin um just an honor to to have conversations with him as as we went through some things um could not be more thankful for opportunity and and at the time it was it was something where I felt like needed to be exactly where my feet were and uh he he he did pretty good did pretty good coach we'll go over here to our right hand side about three qus of the way back hey Jeff John sakoff with wcbi TV in Mississippi John Lewis is going to be filling a a big void at at linebacker you know with with buky Watson and Jet Johnson gone obviously I know you weren't there with those guys but he's got a lot on the shoulders this year how confident are you that he could step up as a leader kind of on and off the field for this program yeah J Jay's done that again that's why he's here today rep representing us and and you know a guy that he's going to play alongside with there's multiple guys in inside that room that are going to give us a chance to create depth uh but a guy that again comes to us uh from another sec School Stone Blandon has played at a really high level is played inside this league knows what it's supposed to look like and uh he he's another guy along with some others that will help us uh fill that void okay we'll go on this middle section halfway back hey Jeff uh George stoas soonerscoop.com hope you're doing well uh kind of got a two-part question for you how did your time under Brent venables the last two years maybe help you prepare for this job both under Brent but also just your time at Oklahoma and then secondly what can people expect from Jackson Arnold somebody who recruited him and and saw him play this last last year yeah get getting the opportunity to work for Coach V for the last two years he he did he created an opportunity opportunity for me to to go back to my alma moer um and be able to get that thing off the ground with with him a great experience for me is being able to see him do it from year one to year two and being a this this great coordinator who had an incredible amount of success and then being able to get into that head coaching chair and find ways man just to keep getting better and it was all about what's best for the program it's all about what's best for the people inside our room as consistent of a leader and a man as there is I believe that in all of college football and indebted to him uh man forever for giving me that experience part two to the question obviously Jackson I think everybody understands who knows that that scenario in relationship knows how I feel about him and and him having the ability to continue great quarterback play at that University coach we'll go over to this section to your right on the right aisle hey Jeff Cedric golden ex American statesman um you coached didn't played at OU you coached at uh Baylor uh the seasons you spent with Lan kein what did it teach you about the SEC and and get you prepared for this challenge yeah I I I think with without a doubt just understanding the week- to week grind of it and have talked about this already today but you know it's not week three four and five it is truly week 8 through 12 and and understanding the the lines of scrimmage the depth that you have to find a way to develop through the season to create depth uh at all positions but most importantly at the lines of scrimmage is something that uh is to me in Advantage because of of living it hey coach we'll go right in front of me three rows back Barry yeah Jeff Barry traml Tulsa World you're coming into the SEC when it's tougher than ever with OU and Texas coming in but you're also coming in when the 12 team playoff arrives what is that opportunity do for a program like Mississippi State which is outside the Alabama Georgia AIS you you don't necessarily have to win the SEC or get to Atlanta to to make the playoff what could that do for a program like Mississippi State well I I think there's nothing but good coming from the the the um expanded playoff you know you have the opportunity to to not be perfect in the regular season and then get in and go chase it and and have a chance to to win a championship I think for all of college football the excitement and the fan base um for us as specifically Mississippi State I think it opens a door and it creates a door and and we'll always and forever make sure that we're we're talking about maximizing every day every opportunity every single season and fighting like heck to be in that top 12 we go down the center aisle again hey Jeff Colin Wilson with the Action Network everywhere you've gone you've had a top 10 Tempo Pace with your offense usually about 23 seconds per play with the new rules of having communication till 15 seconds left on the clock do you see yourself going using all 15 seconds or going even faster to confuse defenses it may have that communication yeah I think a little bit of that is a balancing act I really do and being able to still have some ball control and some game control while creating uh um great Tempo and and great opportunity through how we play so we'll never be any different than uh what we've been from the mindset of of knowing that we get to dictate how the game is played because we have the football that will forever be the case so being the aggressor and being pedal down will be who we are but being able to change the pace a little bit more I do I think it makes it a lot easier being able to have communication and we'll go over to the section on on your right on the far out coach Hunter Dawkins the Gazebo Gazette super talk news Mississippi media the I know you raised the uh the two terms accountability and toughness is this going to follow you as long with recruiting not only Mississippi but along transfer portal lines yeah we're to me you have one opportunity to protect the program and that is by who you choose to be inside the locker room and so finding the right people and finding the right guys that will Thrive uh in our incredible college town and our our community will be forever important because that is how you protect the program and that's how you know you protect the pick we go back down to center aisle about three rows back coach Emily Grace McCarter from the next round as you look back at the stops you made before becoming a head coach what's the best practice or piece of advice that you got to make it to this point yeah I think consistency and being exactly who you are being comfortable enough in your own skin to where when it doesn't go perfect not changing uh making the changes necessary but being exactly who you're supposed to be at that moment U because that that ultimately is is probably the biggest reason I've gotten the opportunity I've gotten today right we'll go right down here in front right front row coach good good morning this is Terry Middleton from horns Illustrated you had the opportunity to go head-to-head with Steve sarkeesian last year Oklahoma in the cotton bow what did you learn from that experience from play calling and and offense that you'll carry into DKR this season yeah I think from a situational standpoint just knowing that there are so many games inside our league that are decided in the last two to four minutes of of a game it's so similar to the NFL and and that's an incredible example of the you know the game is played there's all four quarters but is there situational Mastery and can you find a way to make the play and call the play and put your guys in positions of success to go win the game and and uh there's just this heightened awareness to me inside of our league because so many close games every single week uh that was great experience uh for me it's great teaching tape for our guys both sides of the ball as as we go back through that we'll go over to our right alongside the Nero how you doing coach Mark Henry from horn sports.com how have you guys as staff in seven months come in and kind of change the culture and put your stamp on Mississippi State so far yeah I I think being incredibly intentional with who we brought into the building you know when you look at the defensive side of the ball I wanted a defensive coordinator that was similar from the standpoint of toughness and passion and Ed and having great command and knew exactly who he was and and was a guy that was um incredibly talented and being able to go create this culture uh in the defensive side of the room and and on that side of the ball and so we've we have we've we we've got people inside the building that have great passion and energy for taking young people places they can't take themselves that to me is what it's all about and and we'll we'll continue to add pieces of the puzzle that way which we'll go right back in front of me Bob um I noticed that uh it seemed like Lane kein had some fun on social media when you got got hired maybe you had a little fun back I was I was wondering what you said about that and also you know we covered Cody Kennedy at Arkansas and you added him I was wondering what what went into that and I assume that Kendall BRS probably had a hand in that yeah um a ton of respect for for Lane and what he's done the energy he's created I'm I'm not going to talk a ton about the the social presence I I'll let him continue to to tend to that game but uh again my time there created an experience for me that gives me the opportunity to hopefully be able to create advantage and and that's that's what it's all about for Mississippi State the next piece in hiring Cody yes he had system knowledge uh he had SEC knowledge he had great familiarity with how we do what we do with his time with Kendall which was a huge part of of U bringing him on board coach we'll go back to this intersection just to your right about three4 of the way back uh Randle sweet Sooners on SI you've obviously coached against Texas a few times you had some success this season what do you think how do you think that's going to help you when you guys head to Austin this season just from familiarity knowing the personnel and and knowing a little bit about the the system and I you know I do I I think from my time before being able to be in Austin and know what that atmosphere is like um I I I do I think that'll be good for us be good for our staff and good for our guys is just knowing a little bit more what to expect and they're not being this incredible amount of newness all right we have time for a couple more if you have a question raise your hand we'll get a microphone to you okay we have one all the way straight in front of me towards the back Joe cook with inside Texas coach your offense uses extremely wide splits your family's offense uses that how have you seen defenses in the past few years try to counteract those WI splits especially in the passing game yeah I I think we saw it in the Big 12 quite a bit when people started going to a little more to the the true three safety defense and and that was something that uh we did we saw a little bit uh while I was in the SEC and and a few other stops but that that's something that's not very popular inside our league um that that hadn't been shown to just take off and and and catch here which will be interesting to see okay coach we'll go over here to our right section front row yeah coach Brooks awesome with dogs daily you mentioned the Mississippi jast I'm curious if the nature of the players available in that pool from junior colleges has been impacted by the fact that a lot of schools are now relying on D1 retreads out of the portal yeah I I do I think it's not being recruited as hard as maybe it was once was because of the the transfer cycles and and the portal windows and again I think I mentioned it in here have talked about today but to me that's Advantage us because there's still such great players inside our junior college ranks inside the State signed a good amount this past year and and hoping to do so in in this next cycle which is is going to be big for us okay we'll go right in front here and run in front of my table on the front row how you doing coach CLA send I would morning times coach you had some time to work with your team you know during the Spring during the summer what kind of team are we going to get that opening day yeah I think you're going to get a football team that's excited to play a team that you're going to be able to tell is prepared and and loves to play the game of football and and and that that's my biggest thing is when we run out of that tunnel man everybody in Davis Wade understanding that we're there with great Purpose with great passion and to be able to go win football games you have a question raise your hand and we'll get another microphone to you all right we'll come back up here front to Bob here comes the Mike hey Jeff I'm not sure you might have ticked off at the SEC office but notice in your first two Road games I forgot the order but it's Georgia and Texas well wonder what you thought when you saw that yeah that again to me that that is part of the league that we're living in have continued to talk about this you want to do it with the best you want to do it against the best we're going to have every opportunity in the world to show exactly who we are as a program and as a football team and I I look at that as it as you know opportunity for our guys we'll go back over here to the front row on the second to your right yeah coach Brook's awesome with dogs daily again you me headset communication Communications was mentioned earlier you guys play with the extreme amount of pace are you guys still going to be using signs or is it going to be related to the quarterback and then he's ultimately going to have to communicate with the other 10 guys there there will be there's there's some operational things that will change that will continue to change and I think there's going to be this cat and mouse game as you're inside of a game if you're signal and if you're not the 15sec mark all those things kind of uh come into play as you're going to call the game which will go in the C intersection in front of me about 34 of the way back Michael Cobble WBZ TV and Baton Rouge playing with Pace on offense how much do you have to be cognizant of what it's doing to your defense and have you been able to find the balance that really works for both sides of the ball yeah I I think so and I I think I mentioned this earlier but mentioned ball control and game control those two things are incredibly real putting our guys in positions of success is what coaching is all about so that will be that'll be up to me to make sure that we're living on the right side of that and and always going to be very aware of it okay we'll go in the center section to your right about halfway back hey Jeff George stoos soonerscoop.com again um wanted to ask you about Seth Latrell I know you worked closely with him as an analyst last year now he's the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma what does he bring to the table as a play caller and how would you say your offens is are difference you know spread versus Air Raid kind of yeah I I think there's a a ton of similarities from a a run the ball first mentality that that toughness and the lines of scrimmage there's um great familiarity from a system standpoint some guys that he had hired at North Texas were guys that that were inside the tree for a long time so he had kind of made that change he had made that change and been much more our our style you know he brings a ton of experience he brings experience as a head football coach uh he brings great experience as a coordinator and a play caller and a guy that's done it at a at a really high level he does right by the people does right by the kids and he's gonna fight his butt off for his university right we have time for one more question if we've got a question raise your hand we'll get a microphone to you all right back over here edley to our left near the near the back hey coach Keen wack Texas Sports unfiltered um so the SEC typically in the past has been considered a defensive league but that seems to be changing over the last few years we've seen explosive offense has come through seems to be kind of your brand of football how do you think the future of the SEC looks balancing offense and defense yeah I think time will tell but I there's there's going to be great give and take there's such great defensive coordinators inside our league and there's such great defensive players inside our league that I I never see it truly being lopsided the other way and I I do I think that's because of what our league is based on and and the tradition of it and who everybody is coach leby thank you for your time this morning great thank y'all hell state