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.
