Featured
A.J. Brown: I Want Matt Luke to Be Our Head Coach Next Year
Ole Miss Head Coach Matt Luke. Photo by Steven Gagliano
Matt Luke dodged questions about his future with the Ole Miss Rebels Thursday night, but wide receiver A.J. Brown made no bones about it: He wants to see Luke return as head coach next year.
In a post-game press conference following the Rebels’ 31-28 upset win over archrival Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl, Luke declined to speculate about his job security. “I’m not gonna worry about that right now,” he said. “I’m gonna enjoy this night and enjoy these players. I don’t have any regrets. I’m grateful for this opportunity. It’s a dream of mine, and I’m thankful to have the opportunity.”
A.J. Brown, a sophomore who set a new Ole Miss record for single-season receiving yards (1,252) in the Thanksgiving night game, seemed more concerned. “A lot of the players want to see Coach Luke [get the permanent job],” Brown told reporters after the game. “We will be really upset if he’s not [hired]. We love that guy. We want him to be our head coach.”
Brown said Luke has been more than just a coach to his players. “The love that he has for us … we’ve been through so much as a team,” Brown said. “We can talk to him. We can go into his office and talk to him anytime. He’s always there for us, whenever we need him. Not even [just] for football—you can call him about life problems, and he’s always gonna be there for us. I love that guy, and I really want him to be our head coach.”
Rick Hynum is editor-in-chief of HottyToddy.com. Email him at rick.hynum@hottytoddy.com.
| 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 |
| Thu, Jan 2 |  | vs Duke (Gator Bowl) | W, 52-20 |
| Mon, Nov 4 |  | vs Long Island University | W, 90-60 |
| Fri, Nov 8 |  | vs Grambling | W, 66-64 |
| Tue, Nov 12 |  | vs South Alabama | W, 64-54 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Colorado State | W, 84-69 |
| Thu, Nov 21 |  | vs Oral Roberts | L, 100-68 |
| Thu, Nov 28 |  | vs BYU | W, 96-85 OT |
| Fri, Nov 29 |  | vs 13 Purdue | L, 80-78 |
| Tue, Dec 3 |  | @ Louisville | W, 86-63 |
| Sat, Dec 7 |  | vs Lindenwood | W, 86-53 |
| Sat, Dec 14 |  | vs Southern Miss | W, 77-46 |
| Tue, Dec 17 |  | vs Southern | W, 74-61 |
| Sat, Dec 21 |  | vs Queens University | W, 80-62 |
| Sat, Dec 28 |  | @ Memphis | L, 87-70 |
| Sat, Jan 4 |  | vs Georgia | 11:00 AM SECN |
| Wed, Jan 8 |  | @ 23 Arkansas | 6:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Jan 11 |  | vs LSU | 5:00 PM SECN |
| Tue, Jan 14 |  | @ 5 Alabama | 6:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Jan 18 |  | @ 17 Mississippi State | 5:00 PM TBA |
| Wed, Jan 22 |  | vs 13 Texas A&M | 8:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Jan 25 |  | @ Missouri | 5:00 PM SECN |
| Wed, Jan 29 |  | vs Texas | 8:00 PM ESPN2 |
| Sat, Feb 1 |  | vs 2 Auburn | 3:00 PM TBA |
| Tue, Feb 4 |  | vs 10 Kentucky | 6:00 PM ESPN |
| Sat, Feb 8 | | @ LSU | 7:30 PM SECN |
| Wed, Feb 12 |  | @ South Carolina | 6:00 PM SECN |
| Sat, Feb 15 | | vs 17 Mississippi State | 5:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Feb 22 |  | @ Vanderbilt | 2:30 PM SECN |
| Wed, Feb 26 | | @ 2 Auburn | 6:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Mar 1 |  | vs 12 Oklahoma | 1:00 PM TBA |
| Wed, Mar 5 |  | vs 1 Tennessee | 8:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Mar 8 |  | @ 6 Florida | 5:00 PM SECN |
Jim Hays
November 25, 2017 at 3:30 am
I was a student there when a similar incidence occurred back in 1946. Our then coach that season was previously an Alabama assistant. His 1st year. My freshman years, we went 2wins, 7 losses. La. Tech beat us 7-6 at homecoming. After the season Alabama’s coach retired and they wanted our coach to come back home which he did. Tad Smith, the A.D., mosrly out of frustration, just gave the head coaching job to his 1st year defensive coordinator that the previous coach had brought in from N.C. preflight. (during the war, many military bases had football) His name was John Vaught. The rest is history. We won the SEC his first year. Maybe history can repeat.