Mississippi State is set to hire Kevin Barbay as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, sources told ESPN on Thursday.
Barbay spent the 2022 season in the same role at Appalachian State, after three years at Central Michigan, the last as offensive coordinator. Appalachian State ranked 23rd nationally in scoring offense in 2022. The 40-year-old Barbay has SEC experience as Florida’s director of player development from 2015 to 2017 under coach Jim McElwain, whom he later worked under at Central Michigan.
Barbay joins the staff of new coach Zach Arnett, who was promoted to lead the program following the death of Mike Leach on Dec. 12. Leach, an offensive innovator who helped launch the Air Raid offense, had been Mississippi State’s offensive playcaller.
A Texas native, Barbay played quarterback for Grambling and led the team to a Southwestern Athletic Conference title and a Black college national championship in 2002. He later transferred to Lamar and also has a degree from Baylor.
Sports Illustrated first reported Barbay’s hiring at Mississippi State.