Rebel Road Trip brings Matt Luke back to the Coast

OCEAN SPRINGS, MS (WLOX) - Ole Miss head football coach Matt Luke has enjoyed every location on the 2019 Rebel Road Trip thus far, but Tuesday’s (April 16) stop along the Coast meant just a little bit more.

“It is special," said Luke, a Gulfport native. "When you walk in and you see so many familiar faces - I got former tee-ball coaches, classmates, teammates - just a lot of great memories when you come back. I always tell people being from the Coast, it’s not just where I’m from, it’s kind of a part of who I am. Just excited to get back.”

Luke, along with athletic director Ross Bjork, men’s basketball head coach Kermit Davis and women’s basketball head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, entertained dozens of Ole Miss alumni from across South Mississippi at the Ocean Springs Yacht Club on Tuesday.

For Luke, it presented a chance to promote what he sees as positive momentum for Ole Miss football.

“I thought this past recruiting class really made a statement. Signing 31 guys, getting back to 85 scholarships for the first time since 2014, the hires we were able to make at coordinator with Mike MacIntyre and Rich Rodriguez - it was a commitment to winning," said Luke, who posted a 5-7 record in his first season since having the interim tag removed from his title of head coach. "I think that made a statement to not only everybody in the conference but nationally that Ole Miss is here to stay. Just excited about our future and the direction we’re headed.”

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