Georgia offensive line coach Matt Luke to resign after two seasons in Athens
Georgia offensive line and associate head coach Matt Luke has resigned after two seasons on the Bulldogs' staff, UGA athletics confirmed on Monday.
Luke is stepping down to spend more time with family, a release stated.
“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 in the statement. “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, 45, joined Kirby Smart's staff ahead of the 2020 season after spending eight seasons at Mississippi, the last three as head coach. During his time in Athens, Luke has been a prime recruiter at the OL position and the offense as a whole.
In 2021, left tackle Jamaree Salyer and left guard Justin Shaffer were named to the All-SEC second team. Luke also coached first team All-SEC tackle Ben Cleveland in 2020.
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Georgia signed 14 offensive linemen while Luke was on staff, including five-stars Broderick Jones and Amarius Mims. Four linemen signed with the Bulldogs in the most recent recruiting class: four-star Earnest Greene, four-star Aliou Bah, three-star Jacob Hood and three-star Griffin Scroggs.
Smart is now searching to fill the position.
“He has been an invaluable part of our staff and played a great role in helping us win a National Championship," Smart said. "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.”
Georgia currently has two offensive line commits in the 2023 recruiting class in four-star offensive tackle Bo Hughley and three-star IOL RyQueze McElderry.
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This is the fourth on-field assistant to leave the program, joining defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae, wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton and defensive coordinator Dan Lanning.
McClain Baxley is a recruiting reporter for the Athens Banner-Herald and the USA TODAY Network. Reach him by email at mbaxley@onlineathens.com or on Twitter at @mcclainbaxley.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: UGA OL coach Matt Luke to resign after two seasons with Bulldogs
