STARKVILLE, Miss. — The Mississippi State Bulldogs continue spring practice under first-year head coach Jeff Levy. The energy level when speaking after practice is something all players and coaches have in common.
Levy is known for its up-tempo offense, so naturally practices will be more energetic and fast-paced, and that's spreading. The defensive side of the ball matched the intensity of new defensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler.
The former University of Alabama assistant coach stood out for his temperament and passion during Tuesday's first 20 minutes of practice. Levy appears to have done a great job of getting his message across, as buy-in from his players is essential.
“The attitude, the effort and the determination to be great was really amazing,” Levy said.
The roster includes many new faces, with 30 new high school and transfer portal personnel joining the program for the second semester. However, this staff still has high expectations for the players, and the workload is heavy.
The players accepted the job and responded with a good attitude.
“Our players did a good job,” Levy said. We've put a lot of effort into them and seeing them bring their energy, attitude and toughness is what we want. ”
With a completely new scheme set to be implemented on both sides of the ball this spring, it should be great news for Bulldog fans to see this type of energy from the players. But excitement doesn't always lead to success. They are still committed to doing things the way this staff demands.
“We have to continue to improve in all areas, but what we hope is really good,” Levy said. “We are nowhere near where we are going to be by kickoff.”
Levy doesn't want his players to focus on long-term goals. Instead, he wants them to live in the moment. Mississippi State needs some normalcy after a tumultuous few years, and the new coach appears to have brought it by instilling a philosophy of getting better every day.
“It's important for the players to learn from the day before and find a way to fix it, and the players did a good job,” Levy said.
