Football
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach - Offensive Line
Matt Luke, joined the Georgia staff in December, 2019, after serving the previous two years as head coach at Ole Miss.
In 2020, Luke was part of a staff that led Georgia to its fourth consecutive top 10 finish in the final CFP rankings and fourth straight New Year’s Six Bowl game (Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl victory). The 2020 senior class won 44 games—tied for most in school history. In 2020, he coached first team All-SEC OT Ben Cleveland and All-SEC freshman team OT Warren McClendon.
On the field as an assistant coach, coordinator, and head coach prior to coming to UGA, Luke mentored 42 All-League selections as well as 27 NFL draft picks, including first-round selections Laremy Tunsil of Ole Miss and Laken Tomlinson of Duke.
Before coming to Georgia, Luke had built a long history of coaching the offensive line at Ole Miss, Duke, Tennessee, and Murray State in addition to serving as co-offensive coordinator at both Duke and Ole Miss.
In his first year as head coach at Ole Miss, Luke faced the daunting challenge of taking over the team just a week before 2017 fall camp. The Rebels responded by posting a 6-6 record, winning three of their final four games. After the regular season, capped by a road victory over Mississippi State in the annual Egg Bowl game, the “interim” tag was removed from his title.
Luke also made waves in the world of recruiting while in Oxford. His first two recruiting classes as a head coach ranked in the top 25 nationally. As the offensive line coach with the Rebels, Luke was ranked eighth amongst recruiters in 2016 by 247Sports.
The head coaching post was the fourth separate stint at his alma mater, including his four-year career as a player. Prior to taking over as interim head coach, Luke spent five seasons as the team’s co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. During his first stop in Oxford (2002-05), Luke served four seasons coaching the Ole Miss tight ends and offensive line under head coach David Cutcliffe.
Luke’s association with Cutcliffe continued at his next two stops: at Tennessee (2006-07) and Duke (2008-11). During Luke’s two years in Knoxville, the Vols went 19-8 with one SEC East title and two appearances in the Outback Bowl. In 2007, Tennessee tight end Chris Brown caught 41 passes for 282 yards and six touchdowns while fellow end Brad Cottam’s 31-yard touchdown reception proved to be the difference in the UT’s win over Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl. On the recruiting front, Tennessee’s 2007 class was rated third-best nationally by Rivals.com and fourth best in the country by Scout.com.
Luke then spent four seasons in Durham, where his offensive line ranked among the ACC’s top five in fewest sacks allowed throughout his tenure, including finishing third in 2009 and 2010.
Luke returned to Oxford in time for the 2012 season as Co-Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line coach. In 2013, Luke helped oversee a Rebel offense that broke the then-school record for total offense (473.3 ypg). The Rebels ranked third in the SEC in passing offense (283.3 ypg) and fifth in total offense, while finishing top 25 in the NCAA in both categories. Having to replace three starters due to graduation, Luke helped the 2014 Rebel squad rank seventh in the SEC in total offense (419.1 ypg) and yards per play (6.0). The offensive line also helped the Rebels rank fifth in the SEC and 37th nationally in passing offense (263.6 ypg).
In 2015, Ole Miss set program records for scoring (531), touchdowns (68), total offense (6,731), passing yards (4,351) and passing touchdowns (35), among others. The Rebels led the SEC and were top 10 nationally in scoring (40.8), total offense (517.8 ypg) and passing (334.7 ypg).
Luke’s prized pupils during this time were Tunsil, who earned All-SEC honors twice and was taken in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, and Fahn Cooper, who was drafted by San Francisco the next year. Tunsil was one of just two true freshmen in the country to earn full-time starting status. Both linemen collected the Kent Hull Trophy, sponsored by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, which goes annually to the state’s outstanding offensive lineman.
Luke lettered four seasons (1995-98) as a center at Ole Miss. A starter in 33 career games for the Rebels, he served as team captain in 1998 as the Rebels posted a 7-5 ledger and defeated Texas Tech in the Independence Bowl.
After his playing career, Luke was a student assistant coach at Ole Miss in 1999, and he graduated in May 2000 with a degree in business administration. His coaching career began on a full-time basis leading the offensive line corps at Murray State in 2000-01.
Luke is married to the former Ashley Grantham of Oxford, Miss., and the couple has two sons, Harrison (born Feb. 18, 2008) and Cooper (born July 20, 2011). Luke’s brother Tom played quarterback at Ole Miss from 1989-91 while their father, Tommy, was a defensive back for the Rebels from 1964-66.
Luke Thumbnail
Birthdate: October 29, 1976
Birthplace: Gulfport, Mississippi
Family: Wife Ashley, sons Harrison (2/18/08) and Cooper (7/20/11)
High School: Gulfport HS
College: Ole Miss, 2000 (B.A. in Business Administration)
Coaching Experience:
1999............................................Ole Miss (Graduate Asst.)
2000-01.............................Murray State (Asst. Coach / OL)
2002-05.........................Ole Miss (Asst. Coach / OL & TEs)
2006-07..............Tennessee (Recruiting Coord. / TEs / OL)
2008-11.............................Duke (Co-Offensive Coord. / OL)
2012-16.......................Ole Miss (Co-Offensive Coord. / OL)
2017-19........................................ ...Ole Miss (Head Coach)
2019-Present............Georgia (Associate Head Coach / OL)
Playing Experience:
1995-98.................................................................. Ole Miss
33-game starter at Center for the Rebels;
Team Captain as a senior in 1998; twice earned Academic All-SEC honors.
