Ole Miss Legend Matt Luke to return to his Alma Mater and take the role as program manager for exceptional contributions to Rebels Football…
Matt Luke dedicated 13 years to the Ole Miss coaching staff, serving in various capacities including head coach (2017-19), co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach (2012-16), offensive line and tight ends coach (2002-05), and graduate assistant (1999).
Luke is deeply rooted in Ole Miss history, with his family’s ties spanning three generations. After an impactful interim head coaching stint in 2017, he was officially named the 38th head coach on November 27, 2017.
Under Luke’s leadership, the 2018 Rebels excelled, ranking in the top 20 nationally in numerous offensive and defensive categories. This success translated to the professional level, with nine Rebels invited to the 2019 NFL Combine (fourth-most nationally) and six drafted, the most for Ole Miss since 1971.
His first year as head coach in 2017 was a challenging one, as he took over just a week before fall camp. Despite this, he guided the Rebels to a 6-6 record, ending a losing streak and clinching the Golden Egg with a 31-28 road victory over Mississippi State.
Over his 25-year career as a player and coach, Luke has gained valuable experience learning from esteemed coaches like Phillip Fulmer, David Cutcliffe, and Tommy Tuberville. He has also personally mentored 17 all-league selections, including All-Americans and first-round NFL draft picks Laremy Tunsil and Laken Tomlinson.
A four-year starting center for the Rebels (1995-98), Luke completed his 11th season coaching at Ole Miss before becoming interim head coach. His earlier coaching roles at Ole Miss included co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for five seasons, and tight ends and offensive line coach under David Cutcliffe from 2002-05.
Since rejoining Ole Miss in 2012, Luke has contributed to four bowl appearances, highlighted by a 10-3 record and Sugar Bowl victory in 2015.
The 2018 season saw standout individual performances from Luke’s players. A.J. Brown earned All-America honors, becoming Ole Miss’ all-time leading receiver and setting single-season records for receiving yards and receptions. Quarterback Jordan Ta’amu led the SEC in passing, ranking fourth nationally with 326.5 yards per game and recording the second-most passing yards in Ole Miss single-season history (3,918). Defensively, MoMo Sanogo led the Rebels with 112 tackles, one of only two Ole Miss players in 12 years to achieve over 100 tackles in a season. Kicker Luke Logan also had a record-setting year, finishing second in program history for single-season field goals (22) and total points (111).
In Luke’s first year as head coach (2017), A.J. Brown led the SEC in multiple receiving categories, and running back Jordan Wilkins became just the fifth Rebel to surpass 1,000 rushing yards in a single season. Notably, two different quarterbacks threw for over 350 yards in three games, a feat achieved by only four FBS teams in the last two decades. The 2017 defense also showed significant improvement, forcing five turnovers in the Mississippi State win, and linebacker DeMarquis Gates recorded 114 tackles, the most since Patrick Willis in 2006. Kicker Gary Wunderlich became Ole Miss’ career record-holder in points scored, points kicking, field goals made, and PATs.
Luke also proved to be a strong recruiter, with his first two recruiting classes as head coach ranking in the top 25 nationally. As an offensive line coach, he was recognized as the eighth-best recruiter in 2016 by 247Sports.
Under Luke’s guidance, the 2016 offensive line played a crucial role in Ole Miss leading the SEC in passing for the second consecutive year (314.9 ypg) and ranking 13th nationally. The Rebels averaged 464.3 total yards per game, third in the SEC. He also developed Freshman All-American left tackle Greg Little and coached Javon Patterson, Sean Rawlings, and Rod Taylor to play multiple positions on the line.
The 2015 season saw Luke’s offensive line contribute to a record-breaking year for the Rebels’ offense, setting new program highs for scoring (531), touchdowns (68), total offense (6,731), passing yards (4,351), and passing touchdowns (35). Ole Miss led the SEC and was in the national top 10 for scoring (40.8), total offense (517.8 ypg), and passing (334.7 ypg). In 2015, senior Fahn Cooper won the Kent Hull Trophy, making Luke the coach of back-to-back winners (Tunsil won in 2014). Laremy Tunsil, who allowed only two sacks in 29 games with 26 starts, and Fahn Cooper were both developed by Luke into NFL draft picks (Tunsil 13th overall to the Dolphins, Cooper in the fifth round to the 49ers in 2016).
In 2014, despite replacing three starters, Luke helped the offensive line contribute to Ole Miss ranking seventh in the SEC in total offense (419.1 ypg) and fifth in passing offense (263.6 ypg). The offensive line enabled the Rebels to gain over 500 total yards in four games, including the second-highest in school history with 640 yards against Presbyterian.
The 2013 season saw Luke oversee a Rebel offense that broke the school record for total offense (473.3 ypg), ranking third in the SEC in passing offense (283.3 ypg) and fifth in total offense, both in the top 25 nationally. The offensive line helped the Rebels achieve over 500 total yards in five games, including a program-record 751 yards against Troy. Luke’s guidance was key in the immediate success of freshman left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who, as one of only two true freshmen nationally to be a full-time starter at the position, allowed just one sack. Tunsil also became one of the first true freshmen in school history to earn AP All-SEC second team honors.
In 2012, Luke significantly improved Ole Miss’ offensive performance across nearly all categories, including total yards and points per game. He transformed an inexperienced offensive line, enabling the Rebels to rank fifth in the SEC in rushing (173.9 ypg), a notable improvement from 10th the previous year.
Prior to his second stint at Ole Miss, Luke spent four seasons as Duke’s offensive coordinator/running game coordinator and offensive line coach. During his time at Duke, his offensive line consistently ranked among the ACC’s top five in fewest sacks allowed, finishing third in 2009 and 2010. The 2010 offensive front contributed to Duke’s highest yards per game average since 1989, as Sean Renfree surpassed 3,000 passing yards. The Blue Devils also nearly doubled their rushing totals from the previous year, scoring 19 touchdowns in both 2010 and 2011. Under Luke, both Dave Harding and Perry Simmons earned Freshman All-America honors in 2010, and Brian Moore was a Freshman All-ACC pick in 2009. Laken Tomlinson went on to be the 28th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Luke’s career also included two seasons at Tennessee (2006-07), where he served as recruiting coordinator, tight ends coach, and assistant offensive line coach. During this period, the Volunteers achieved a 19-8 record, won an SEC Eastern Division championship, and made two Outback Bowl appearances.
A native of Gulfport, Mississippi, Luke was a four-year letterwinner (1995-98) as a center at Ole Miss. He started 33 career games, served as team captain in 1998, and was named the 1998 Ole Miss Most Valuable Senior. He also earned Academic All-SEC honors twice. After graduating with a business administration degree in 2000, he served as a student assistant coach in 1999, contributing to an 8-4 record and an Independence Bowl victory. He then coached the offensive line at Murray State for two years (2000-01) before returning to Ole Miss in 2002.
Born on October 29, 1976, Luke is married to Ashley Grantham and they have two sons, Harrison and Cooper. His family’s strong Ole Miss legacy includes his father, Tommy, who played defensive back in the 1960s, and his brother, Tom, who quarterbacked the Rebels from 1989-91 and is currently Ole Miss’ assistant athletics director for player development.
Leave a Reply