Georgia Offensive Line Coach Matt Luke Steps Down From Staff

Georgia offensive line coach and associate head coach Matt Luke is stepping down to spend more time with his family, the school announced on Monday. 

Luke, who just completed his second season with the Bulldogs, is the fourth assistant coach to leave the National Championship squad. 

“Today, after much prayer and conversation with my family, I have decided to step away from coaching and shift my focus to spending more time with my family,” Luke said. “I want to thank Coach Smart, his wife Mary Beth, and the entire Georgia family for an incredible past two seasons. I also appreciate Coach Smart’s support in my decision today. He’s a great coach, and I’ll always cherish his friendship. 

“It has been an honor of a lifetime to be able to win a national championship with this staff and these players, and something I will never forget.” 

Luke’s coaching stints span 23 years, with stops at his alma mater Ole Miss, where he served as the offensive line and tight ends coach from 2002 to ’05 before returning in 2011 as the co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. In 2017, he was named the Rebels’ interim head coach, before being named head coach for the 2018 season. He was fired in 2019 before he joined the Georgia coaching staff. 

He also coached for Murray State, Tennessee and Duke.

“Matt Luke has made the decision to step away from coaching football," head coach Kirby Smart said. “He has been an invaluable part of our staff and played a great role in helping us win a National Championship. We are so appreciative of everything he has done for Georgia Football. Matt, Ashley, and his children have been, and will continue to be, an important part of the Bulldog family and Athens community. 

“We’re working on finding a coach that will continue to develop our young men and build our strong foundation with the offensive line."

The Bulldogs’ offensive line only allowed 16 sacks in 15 games last season, making way for a national championship run that ended with a 33–18 win over Alabama. 

Luke leaves at the heels of departures from Dan Lanning, Jahmile Addae and Cortez Hankton. Lanning landed Oregon’s heading coaching position, while former defensive backs coach Addae joined Miami in the same role. Hankton left for LSU to work as the receivers coach, the same role he had with Georgia.