Gulfport native becomes Ole Miss head coach

Matt Luke, newly announced interim head coach for the Ole Miss football team, is no stranger to what the Rebels do after his years spent as offensive coordinator. Luke got his start in football right here on the Gulf Coast.
After five seasons in Oxford, Ole Miss Head Football Coach Hugh Freeze resigned due to a pattern of misconduct tied to a call to an escort service. Stepping up to fill his shoes will be interim Head Coach Matt Luke.
Before heading to Ole Miss first as a player and then later as a coach, Matt Luke spent years playing in the stadium in Gulfport. Former Gulfport High Football Coach Ronnie Cuevas said, “He started for us at Gulfport as a starting center and middle linebacker so he was probably on the field for us 90 percent of the time. He was one of those guys that didn’t want to come off. He played center, middle linebacker, special teams, all of it. He wanted to do it all.”
This will be the tenth season with the Rebels for Luke. Last season he was the co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. Cuevas coached football at Gulfport High School from 1977 to 2001. He tells News 25 he knew Luke had what it took to be a coach from the start. “He was a great kid growing up and loved sports. Baseball, football, he loved it, he lived it and that’s the type of kids that make great coaches.”
Being a Rebel for the Luke’s has always been a family tradition and many lifelong Ole Miss fans feel confident leaving the program in his hands. Ole Miss fan Jackson Lee said, “He has got deep Ole Miss roots as his dad, brother, and him all played at Ole Miss. He married a woman from Oxford that he met up there so he’s real in with the program. He’s not one of those to just be here for a season and kind of make this a stepping stone. This is where he will really help.”