Lane Kiffin loses one of his best assistant coaches to Oklahoma

Lane Kiffin is losing one of his best assistant coaches to Oklahoma.

Offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby shared a thank you note on Twitter Wednesday to the Ole Miss community, signifying he is leaving the Rebels.

Hard to describe how thankful we are as a family for the last two years – what an incredible ride it has been – THANK YOU Ole Miss – THANK YOU Oxford – #HYDR #Family #ScoredFromFar pic.twitter.com/jzJF3zjHG4

— Jeff Lebby (@Coach_Leb) December 9, 2021

Lebby’s note about Ole Miss comes amid reports that said he had finalized a deal to become Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator.

Lebby is leaving Oxford, where he served as Kiffin’s offensive coordinator the last two seasons. He reportedly will be earning $2 million per year, making him one of the highest-paid assistant coaches in the game.

A priority for new @OU_Football coach Brent Venables was bringing in @Coach_Leb as offensive coordinator. Oklahoma has finalized that deal, and sources tell ESPN that Lebby will earn in the $2 million range annually, making him one of college football's highest-paid coordinators.

— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) December 8, 2021

Lebby is an Oklahoma alum, which helps explain his motivation for moving to the Sooners. The 37-year-old helped coach successful offenses at Baylor and UCF prior to Ole Miss. Ole Miss’ offense is 18th in the country this season with 35.9 points per game.

Kiffin has led Ole Miss to a 10-2 record this season. The Rebels are set to face Baylor in the Sugar Bowl. After that game, Kiffin will get a taste of the difficulties of repeating success in the SEC; not only is he losing Lebby, but he also will be losing his most valuable player.

Photo: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports