LAKELAND, Fla. — Southeastern University football coach Keith Barefield has announced the hiring of former NCAA Division I assistant coaches Jeff Lebby and Randy Clements to his coaching staff.
“I am pleased to have Jeff Lebby and Randy Clements join the Fire Football Family as a part of my coaching staff,” said Barefield. “They both bring years of successful football experience, at various levels, to our young program and will contribute greatly to our continued success.”
Lebby comes to the Fire after nine seasons at Baylor University. The past two seasons, Lebby was the passing game coordinator and was the offensive recruiting coordinator. Lebby also worked with the running backs, coaching five 1,000-yard rushers over the last four seasons.
“I have known Coach Lebby for over ten years, as he coached my son, Keith Jr., during his senior season of high school in Victoria, Texas,” said Barefield. “From there, I have watched Jeff develop into one of the finest offensive coaches at any level of competition.”
Lebby also worked as the assistant director of football operations in charge of offensive quality control and was the NFL liaison. He was named one of the Top 10 Big 12 Recruiters by Rivals.com, helping the Bears secure the No. 22 recruiting class in the 2014 ESPN rankings.
Clements brings nearly 30 years of coaching experience to Southeastern. Like Lebby, Clements spent the last nine years at Baylor as the offensive line coach and run game coordinator. Clements was responsible for protecting and blocking for the highest performing offense in FBS football in 2015.
“Coach Clements is recognized as one of the foremost offensive line technicians in football today,” said Barefield. “He brings a wealth of knowledge to tutor an offensive line that is a senior-laden unit. Those young men will be treated to a coaching clinic each and every day they line up for practice.”
During his time in Waco, Clements tutored 12 future NFL linemen. He also spent five seasons at the University of Houston, working with the offensive line and helped develop one of the most prolific offenses in the country. The Cougars were ranked fourth in the nation in total offense and 10th in rushing in 2007. Clements also helped develop four-time Super Bowl Champion Sebastian Vollmer at Houston.
“What excites me the most is that these two coaches have worked closely together for the past nine seasons and will add expertise and cohesion to an offensive squad that has gotten better each season,” said Barefield. “Our players and the rest of my coaching staff are eagerly anticipating the beginning of preseason practice and getting to work for the Fall season.”
The tandem takes over an offense that led The Sun Conference in yards per game at 379.3 and was second in scoring at 31.2 points per game. Nationally, the Fire ranked 20th in rushing at over 221 yards per game.
“The fact that Jeff and Randy bring valuable experience to our football staff goes without saying,” said director of athletics, Drew Watson. “When you start to get to know these guys, you begin to realize they bring a whole lot more to the table than football knowledge. They are individuals who we believe will be valuable members of the SEU community and make a positive difference in the lives of the football players they are entrusted to lead.”
The Fire enter their fourth season of competition in the NAIA, having won two Sun Conference championships. The 2017 season will mark the first year of play for Southeastern in the Mid-South Conference.
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