As Rebel football closed the curtain on its 2017 season following last Thursday’s Egg Bowl victory, then-interim head coach Matt Luke’s fate hung in the balance.
Ross Bjork, Ole Miss’ vice chancellor for intercollegiate athletics, stood facing a difficult choice. A 6-6 record, capped with a win over No. 14 Mississippi State, defied many fans’ low expectations. But midseason losses to teams like LSU and Arkansas cast doubt on the former Ole Miss linesman’s future in Oxford.
The Ole Miss players, however, had already made up their minds. They wanted Luke, who began the season with an “interim” looming before his “head coach” title, to stick around.