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Former Vols assistant Matt Luke is Hugh Freeze’s replacement at Ole Miss

By Caleb Calhoun

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 01: Head coach Hugh Freeze of the Mississippi Rebels reacts against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the first quarter of the Allstate Sugar Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 1, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 01: Head coach Hugh Freeze of the Mississippi Rebels reacts against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the first quarter of the Allstate Sugar Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 1, 2016 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) /
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Former Tennessee Volunteers assistant coach Matt Luke, a David Cutcliffe disciple, was named Hugh Freeze’s replacement as head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels.

Add another member to the Phillip Fulmer head coaching tree. The Tennessee football legend has produced guys like David Cutcliffe and Lovie Smith into the coaching ranks.

And now he has a Cutcliffe disciple out there.

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Hugh Freeze’s resignation Thursday night followed with the news that Matt Luke will replace him as interim head coach.

It’s so late into the offseason that Luke will have the chance to coach this year, giving him a real head coaching opportunity.

Luke was an assistant with the Vols in 2006 and 2007, coaching tight ends, helping with the offensive line, and serving as the recruiting coordinator.

An Ole Miss graduate in 1998, he joined Cutcliffe’s staff to coach tight ends for the Rebels in the early 2000s.

He then followed Cutcliffe to Duke.

So he’s technically more part of Cutcliffe’s coaching tree, but his two years at Tennessee make him part of the Fulmer tree as well.

Luke deserves this chance. He helped reform the Tennessee football offense under Cutcliffe.

Studying under Cutcliffe should mean he’ll run a cleaner program than what Hugh Freeze has allegedly run.

And he’s a brilliant X’s and O’s guy.

Of course, Ole Miss is still SEC competition, so Vols fans likely won’t wish him too well. But since he’s in another division, he won’t be too much of a threat.

That is unless he uses his connections to start stealing recruits away from Tennessee.

Ole Miss still has some talent, so there’s a chance Luke pulls a full-time gig out of this if he succeeds this year.

And should that happen outside of the SEC, Vols fans could root for him. The Fulmer/Cutcliffe tree always produces people you want to cheer for.

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