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Jeff Lebby calls Lane Kiffin 'childish' for social media posts but respects Ole Miss coach

Mississippi State head football coach Jeff Lebby watches the Maroon and White spring game during the second quarter of their scrimmage Sat. April 20, 2024 in Starkville, Miss. (Jim Lytle/Special to the Clarion Ledger)

DALLAS ― Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin introduced new Mississippi State football coach Jeff Lebby to the Egg Bowl rivalry with some social media shade this offseason.

In November, he reposted a meme made by a fan that showed Kiffin carrying Lebby on his shoulders as a father might do for his child. Last month, Kiffin responded to a comment about his weight left on a video from 2020 ‒ when Kiffin was significantly heavier than he is now ‒ by saying he was hanging out with Lebby.

Wednesday at SEC Media Days, Lebby was asked what he thought about Kiffin posting about him on social media.

"Little childish," Lebby said. "But that doesn't mean I don't respect him."

Lebby spent two seasons at Ole Miss as an offensive coordinator under Kiffin, helping the Rebels finish inside the nation's top 30 in scoring in both of those campaigns. He then left to join Brent Venables' staff at Oklahoma, where he coached the Sooners to more offensive success before getting his first head coaching shot with the Bulldogs.

Asked about his overall relationship with Kiffin, Lebby had only good things to say.

"Respect the heck out of who he is, what he's done, the job he's done and the energy that he's created up the road," Lebby said. "There's no doubt about it. Respect the heck out of what he's done."

STATE: Why Brent Venables believes Jeff Lebby will succeed as Mississippi State football coach

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Lane Kiffin 'childish' on social media, Mississippi State coach says