Spring practicing has already wrapped up the first week of work on the field. Meanwhile Jeff Lebby keeps finalizing staffing for the 2026 season. The latest addition is Brandon Fusco who will be working as assistant offensive line coach.
This news was first broken by Football Scoop, with a social media post following today showing Fusco in M-State practice gear with the coaching whistle.
Fusco will be an aide to position group coach Phil Loadholt, along with analyst Ben Tawwater. He is 37 years of age.
Fusco spent eight years as a National Football League lineman, playing in 90 games and starting 87 of those. A sixth-round draft pick by Minnesota, he played six seasons with the Vikings and made the starting lineup by his second year. Released in 2017 he was signed by San Francisco where he started at guard all 16 regular season games.
Fusco signed with Atlanta in spring of 2018 and won starting guard before a season ending ankle injury. He was released in 2019.
Since retirement from the NFL Fusco has been splitting time between homes in Louisville, Ky., and Las Vegas, Nev. He remains a supporter of his alma mater's football program.
A Pennsylvania native, Fusco did not begin playing football until his junior year in high school. He was a natural, albeit on a bad team that won just one game out of 18 in his two seasons with Seneca Valley SHS. Fusco was named All-WPIAL Class AAA and honorable mention North All-State.
The late start meant he caught little college scout attention and his best offers were from Slippery Rock and Youngstown State. Fusco chose the first and after a 2006 redshirt year at tackle he switched to center and earned All-Conference first-team honors. The junior year brought All-American recognition for NCAA Division II as Fusco was named team captain and Most Valuable Player.
Then in 2010 Fusco became the 19th Slippery Rock player to repeat as All-American, again at first team. He was the Gene Upshaw Award winner and the first SRU player picked to play in the Senior Bowl. His uniform number 74 has been retired by Slippery Rock.
With the addition of Fusco the offensive line staff appears to be completed both for the primary position coaches and their assistants. Loadholt is beginning his second season with Mississippi State and facing another major rebuild of the offensive front.
For his third season Coach Jeff Lebby has replaced wide receivers Coach Chad Bumphis with Phillip Montgomery, who will also serve as associate head coach; added Desmond Lindsey as assistant coach with wideouts; and brought in Kevin Johns to coach quarterbacks.
Returning for year-three are running backs coach Anthony Tucker and tight ends coach Jon Cooper. Of course Lebby himself works primarily with the offense and the quarterbacks himself.
The Bulldogs completed their third spring practice session on Saturday.