Mississippi State announces hiring of highly respected assistant coach
By David Wasson
Published:
Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby announced Sunday that the Bulldogs have hired veteran assistant coach Kevin Johns.
Johns is a respected offensive mind who has 28 years of coaching experience, most recently served as quarterbacks coach at Oklahoma State.
“Kevin Johns is a big-time addition for our program,” Lebby said in a news release. “His résumé speaks for itself — he’s been an elite offensive mind for a long time, coordinating explosive, productive offenses and consistently developing talent and generating production.
“Kevin understands how to evaluate, teach and adapt, and he knows how to turn those traits into results. His experience and offensive acumen will be a major asset for us moving forward.”
Johns also comes to Starkville with SEC experience, having served as co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Oklahoma in 2024. He also has coaching stops at Duke, Memphis, Texas Tech, Western Michigan, Indiana, Northwestern and Richmond. The Bulldogs finished 2025 with a 5-7 record in Lebby’s second season, and notched their first SEC win in 2 seasons by edging Arkansas 38-35.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to join Coach Lebby’s staff,” Johns said in the release. “I’ve long had a great deal of respect for the Mississippi State program. I’m looking forward to working with the players, investing in their development and contributing to an offense that plays fast, physical and aggressive.”
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
