With an abysmal showing in 2018 and the famed Landshark defense of Ole Miss becoming a distant memory, head coach Matt Luke was forced to make a change. Immediately after a 35-3 Egg Bowl loss in which the Rebels allowed 309 rushing yards, it was out with defensive coordinator Wesley McGriff.
Luke’s short search for a replacement ended with the arrival of Mike McIntyre, who was fresh off of a six-season head coaching stint at Colorado which included an AP Coach of the Year nod in 2016.
Along with McIntyre came a shift from the 4-2-5 to a more aggressive and dynamic 3-4 scheme with an emphasis on quarterback pressure through disguised blitzes and coverages.