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Vassallo: "Hopefully, The Search For The Head Football Coach Is Over"
Ole Miss Head Coach Matt Luke. Photo by Danny Dickey
The wayward winds of Ole Miss head football coaches following the great Johnny Vaught have now reached eleven. The selection of Matt Luke might just be the smartest decision the athletic department has made in quite some time. Here’s why.
Matt Luke is a Rebel through and through. No one can question his loyalty to Ole Miss as he bleeds Red & Blue. There are only a few families that can compare in football longevity (multi-generation) to the Luke’s. And in addition, he’s a great guy who is pleasant to converse with. His résumé is equally most impressive!
Reflecting back down memory lane with the other ten, only one coach stands out for a decade plus of success here. And that gentleman is none other than Ole Miss great, Billy “Dog” Brewer, who was a standout performer for Coach Vaught. The Dog was the head coach for 11 years. Had he received more support, he might still be coaching.
The other nine coaches had their moments of glory (or at least 5 of them did), but more often it was a pure roller coaster ride. Luke’s selection could very well close the revolving door for a long spell.
This writer was not looking forward to the upcoming season until Luke’s appointment. Now there is reason for excitement. With the clouds still hovering over Oxford, borrowing a line from Lee Hazlewood seems appropriate… “I’ve been down so long; it looks like up to me.”
My recent forecast/prediction of a 9-3 season might still be optimistic, however, the odds appear stronger now in making this a reality.
Steve Vassallo is a HottyToddy.com contributor. Steve writes on Ole Miss athletics, Oxford business, politics and other subjects. He is an Ole Miss grad and former radio announcer for the basketball team. Currently, Steve is a highly successful leader in the real estate business who lives in Oxford with his wife Rosie. You can contact Steve at sovassallo@gmail.com or call him at 985-852-7745.
| Sat, Aug 31 |  | vs Furman | W, 76-0 |
| Sat, Sep 7 |  | vs Middle Tennessee | W, 52-3 |
| Sat, Sep 14 |  | @ Wake Forest | W, 40-6 |
| Sat, Sep 21 |  | vs Georgia Southern | W, 52-13 |
| Sat, Sep 28 |  | vs Kentucky | L, 20-17 |
| Sat, Oct 5 |  | @ South Carolina | W, 27-3 |
| Sat, Oct 12 |  | vs LSU | L, 29-26 (2 OT) |
| Sat, Oct 26 |  | vs Oklahoma | W, 26-14 |
| Sat, Nov 2 |  | @ Arkansas | W, 63-35 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Georgia | W, 28-10 |
| Sat, Nov 23 |  | @ Florida | L, 24-17 |
| Sat, Nov 30 |  | vs Mississippi State | W, 26-14 |
Peter R
July 27, 2017 at 11:13 am
This is the worse thing they could have done. They need to clean house, every coach, and the AD Ross Bjork needs to go too. They need a clan start to try to rebuild this program. Matt Luke was involved in the NCAA violations and he will be gone at the end of the year, and he proved he was not a great coach or recruiter with the O-Line. They have no bowl game this year, $5 Million extra for a coach, why wait for the inevitable. Get the job done right.
Loretta
July 28, 2017 at 6:54 pm
If Hugh Freeze is a man of honor, he will return the millions of dollars he took under false pretenses.