Ole Miss fires head coach Matt Luke

Things are changing in Oxford, Mississippi, as Ole Miss has reportedly decided to make a coaching change. Multiple reports say the school has fired Matt Luke after three seasons at the helm. The news was first reported by Rivals’ Rebel Grove and quickly confirmed by Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel and then ESPN.

Under Luke, the Rebels had a 15-21 record, with each year’s regular-season record declining by one win. Ole Miss went 6-6 during Luke’s first year, 2017, followed by a 5-7 and 4-8 season. Overall, the Rebels had a 6-18 conference record under Luke.

Ole Miss lost this year’s Egg Bowl against in-state rival Mississippi State in epic proportions after Elijah Moore celebrated his game-tying touchdown by mimicking a peeing dog, earning an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and costing the team 15 yards. The point after sailed wide to give Mississippi State the win.

Ole Miss has fired Matt Luke, sources confirmed to ESPN (first reported by https://t.co/njEenggOJL).

The Rebels were 15-21 in 3 seasons under Luke, going 6-18 in SEC play. pic.twitter.com/6IP4voWq9W

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) December 2, 2019

Ole Miss never went to a bowl during Luke’s short tenure. The school self-imposed a bowl ban in 2017 after NCAA violations, and the NCAA added the 2018 season onto that initial ban. With just four wins to their name this season, Ole Miss wouldn’t have been eligible for the post-season this year regardless.

Per Rebel Grove, the buyout for Luke and his staff is in the range of $17 million. Luke hired former Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre to run the defense before the 2019 season, and had also hired former Michigan and Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez to be the team’s offensive coordinator.

Was this the straw that finally broke the camel’s back?