He gone! Matt Luke was fired after finishing 4-8 during his third year as the head coach of Ole Miss. In 3 years after replacing Hue Freeze, Luke has a 15-21 record at Ole Miss. Not terrible but surely could be better. Luke has had to overcome sanctions that were placed on the program but going 6-18 in SEC play isn’t good enough. Luke was fired but the players are NOT happy.
According to reports, the players are revolting. “Half the team” is threatening to transfer after Luke was fired. The following is from USA Today:
The Ole Miss players aren’t happy.
The University of Mississippi made the decision to move on from football coach Matt Luke on Sunday night after three years at the helm. Athletics director Keith Carter addressed the football team in the Manning Center on campus, explaining the direction he wants the program to go.
Carter’s address didn’t resonate with every player. A handful of players stormed out of Carter’s meeting early.
Some were seniors who didn’t have eligibility remaining, such as Myles Hartsfield and Willie Hibbler. But others were major contributors with eligibility remaining, such as running back Jerrion Ealy and defensive end Tariqious Tisdale.
“After the meeting concluded, junior offensive lineman Chandler Tuitt said “half the team” is talking about leaving. Tuitt said if the entire coaching staff is dismissed along with Luke, he doesn’t think many players will stay with the team.
Carter told the players the decision was for the program.
“But you realize, there’s no program without players,” Tuitt said. “You’re basing stuff off the fans. But we don’t care about the fans that much. I’m going to be honest. We’re here for the coach. We love football. If you don’t want to support us, that’s just your fault.”
National signing day is right around the corner. It’s fair to wonder how many of those recruits could bail. I can’t speak for the players, but Ole Miss is a mess. Both Ole Miss and Mississippi State are a mess. The Egg Bowl on Thanksgiving summed it up perfectly. Ole Miss scores a touchdown, draws a penalty, misses the extra point, loses by one. Whether it’s the players revolting or Matt Luke being fired for being terrible, Ole Miss can only be described as a mess. We thought Hue Freeze was bad.
