Ole Miss Officially Announces New Coaching Hires

OXFORD, Miss. (Ole Miss/WCBI) – Ole Miss has position coaches Matt Lubick and Bradley Dale Peveto to its football staff, head coach Hugh Freeze announced Friday morning.

Lubick, who served as Oregon’s offensive coordinator last season, will return to Oxford for his second stint as the Rebels’ wide receivers coach. Peveto, who comes to Ole Miss from LSU, will coach linebackers and serve as special teams coordinator.

Both Lubick and Peveto are regarded as top-notch coaches on the recruiting trail and have amassed success on the field at the highest levels of college football.

As Oregon’s offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach, Lubick led a Ducks unit that was one of the best and most balanced in the country. He was also on staff when the Ducks advanced to the inaugural College Football Playoff championship game after the 2014 season.

“Coach Lubick worked with a prolific Oregon offense that ranked among the national leaders in every statistical category, including scoring, rushing and passing, and that experience will be invaluable as we elevate our offense,” Freeze said. “Having served alongside Matt in the past, I know the kind of coach, recruiter and man that he is. He will be a perfect fit for our staff.”

Peveto is a veteran of the SEC, having coached at LSU, Kentucky and Arkansas, and has also been a head coach at the FCS level (Northwestern State). In his two terms as linebackers coach and special teams coordinator at LSU, the Tigers posted a 59-19 mark and won five bowl games, including the 2007 BCS national championship.

“Coach Peveto’s experience is exactly what we need at the linebacker position and special teams,” Freeze said. “At LSU, he coached some of the nation’s best in those areas and won a national championship. He has also proven to be one of the best recruiters in the country, and we could not be more excited to welcome him to Ole Miss.”

Lubick and Peveto replace Grant Heard and Chris Kiffin, who have accepted coordinator positions at other schools.

Below are complete bios on the newest Ole Miss football coaches.

MATT LUBICK – ASSISTANT COACH FOR WIDE RECEIVERS

Lubick returns to Oxford 10 years after his first stint with the Rebels. He served as wide receivers coach alongside Freeze (who coached tight ends and was recruiting coordinator) on Ed Orgeron’s staff from 2005-06.

With more than 20 years of collegiate coaching experience, Lubick brings numerous accolades and achievements to the Rebel staff and inherits a talented group of receivers with which to teach his aggressive style of play that emphasizes attacking the football in addition to being crucial to the success of the running game.

Lubick coached wide receivers at Oregon for the past four seasons. After three years as the passing game coordinator, he was elevated to offensive coordinator this past season. He helped the Ducks reach the 2013 Alamo Bowl (win over Texas), 2015 Rose Bowl (win over Florida State) and CFP National Championship (loss to Ohio State), and the 2016 Alamo Bowl (3OT loss to TCU).

As offensive coordinator, Lubick directed the 2016 Ducks to the No. 18 total offense in the country (491.7 ypg) and No. 29 scoring offense (35.4 ppg). The Ducks featured a prolific and balanced attack, with 226.4 rushing yards per game (2nd in Pac-12) and 265.3 passing yards per outing (5th in Pac-12). His running back, Royce Freeman, rushed for 945 yards and nine touchdowns in 11 games despite battling injuries for most of the season. The team passing efficiency of 151.6 was 20th nationally despite playing a pair of quarterbacks new to the system.

Lubick assumes much of the credit for the emergence of the Ducks’ Josh Huff and Bralon Addison, with Huff’s numbers from his senior year (62 catches, 1,140 yards, 12 TDs) surpassing a 33-year-old school record for receiving yards and equaling the mark for most scoring catches in one year.

The numbers put up through the air were unprecedented in 2014, as the Ducks posted school-records for passing yards (4,687), completions (326), and first downs passing (198) while recording a Pac-12 Conference all-time best 44 touchdown catches.

Seven different receivers hauled in 20 passes or more for the second time in three seasons, however few were more impressive than Byron Marshall. After rushing for 1,038 yards in 2013, Lubick was key to Marshall’s transformation that led him lead the team in receiving with 74 catches for 1,003 yards.

Receivers combined for nine games of more than 100 yards through the air in 2013 – Oregon’s third-most on record – while the 3,789 yards represented the program’s best in 15 years as well as the third-most in school history. They also were key components in hauling in the fourth-most single-season catches (256) in Oregon annals as well as a 291.5-yard average in receiving yards, representing the highest output in eight seasons.

Lubick came to Eugene following three seasons in a similar capacity while also serving as recruiting coordinator at Duke University, culminating his tenure there by being named the nation’s 2012 Wide Receivers Coach of the Year by FootballScoop.com.

At Duke, Lubick earned national position coach accolades after guiding All-ACC wideouts Jamison Crowder and Conner Vernon to record-setting seasons. Crowder caught 76 passes for 1,074 yards and eight touchdowns, while Vernon carded a school single-season record 85 catches for 1,074 yards and eight TDs. The pair established an ACC record for most combined receptions by a duo and became just the second tandem in conference history to post over 1,000 receiving yards each in the same year.

Also in 2012, Lubick coached three receivers – Crowder, Desmond Scott and Vernon – who formed the only trio nationally to have 65-plus pass receptions apiece. The group combined for 227 catches for 2,814 yards and 18 touchdowns while helping the Blue Devils to postseason play for the first time since 1994. In addition, Vernon – a three-time All-ACC pick – closed his career as the ACC’s all-time leader in both pass receptions (283) and receiving yards (3,749).

As a result, Lubick was one of three finalists for the AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year award and one of 29 nominees for the Broyles Award, an honor presented annually to the top assistant coach in the nation.

In 2011, the Blue Devils ranked second in the ACC in passing offense while Vernon became the first player in league history to post multiple seasons with 70-plus receptions. In addition, wideout Donovan Varner eclipsed the school’s all-time catch record, closing his career with 207 receptions – matching the fourth-highest total in ACC history at the time.

Prior to elevating the Blue Devils’ passing game and recruiting, Lubick spent three seasons (2007-09) on the staff at Arizona State. With the Sun Devils, Lubick served as assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator while coaching the safeties.

During his two-year tenure as wide receivers coach at Ole Miss, Lubick mentored future NFL standouts Dexter McCluster and Mike Wallace, as well as the Rebels’ all-time leader in receiving yards, Shay Hodge. He is credited with signing McCluster, who went on to become the first player in SEC history to amass over 1,000 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in the same season.

In 1995, Lubick got his start in coaching as a student assistant coach and academic supervisor under his father, Sonny, at Colorado State University. He then coached one season (1996) at Cal State Northridge and two campaigns (1997-98) at San Jose State. From 1999-00, Lubick was on the staff at Oregon State where he coached the defensive backs while helping coordinate the Beavers’ recruiting efforts.

Lubick enjoyed a four-year stint as wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at his alma mater from 2001-04, helping Colorado State to the 2002 Mountain West Conference championship as well as three straight bowl games in 2001 (New Orleans), 2002 (Liberty) and 2003 (San Francisco).

A native of Bozeman, Montana, Lubick attended Western Montana College where he earned four varsity letters as a defensive back on the football team and earned all-conference and NAIA All-America honors as a senior. He earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport science from Colorado State in 1995.

Lubick’s Coaching Career:

1995 – Colorado State – student assistant/academic supervisor

1996 – Cal State Northridge – worked with secondary

1997-98 – San Jose State – wide receivers

1999-00 – Oregon State – recruiting coordinator/secondary

2001-04 – Colorado State – recruiting coordinator/wide receivers

2005-06 – Ole Miss – wide receivers

2007-09 – Arizona State – recruiting coordinator/safeties

2010-12 – Duke – recruiting coordinator/passing game coordinator/wide receivers

2013-15 – Oregon – passing game coordinator/wide receivers

2016 – Oregon – offensive coordinator/wide receivers

 

BRADLEY DALE PEVETO – ASSISTANT COACH FOR LINEBACKERS / SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR

Peveto comes to Oxford following his second stint as a member of the LSU coaching staff. Overall, he spent seven seasons with the Tigers. With Peveto on staff, LSU posted a 59-19 mark and won five bowl games, including the 2007 BCS national championship.

Peveto re-joined the LSU staff for the 2014 season after serving as the special teams coordinator and safeties coach for Kentucky in 2013. Prior to that, Peveto was the head coach at Northwestern State University for four years.

In Peveto’s six years as LSU’s special teams coordinator, the Tigers scored 11 special teams touchdowns and blocked six kicks.

In 2016, Peveto oversaw LSU special teams and also coached outside linebackers on defense, two units he will lead at Ole Miss. His special teams defense ranked among the best in the SEC as the Tigers were second in punt return defense and third in kick return defense. He coached first team All-American Tre’Davious White, who was sixth in the conference in punt return yards and one of four SEC players to return a punt for a touchdown.

Peveto helped lead a defense that was sixth nationally in scoring defense, allowing only 16.4 points per game. His linebackers also contributed to LSU ranking 14th in total defense (323.0 ypg). Both marks ranked third in the SEC. Another first team All-America honoree, Kendall Beckwith, was under Peveto’s guidance throughout the 2016 campaign. Beckwith swarmed the ball all season long, ranking second in the SEC with 9.1 tackles per game. He tallied 91 tackles to lead the LSU defense, adding six tackles for loss and a sack.

In 2015, LSU featured two of the most dynamic return men in the SEC as White ranked among the league leaders by averaging 11.4 yards on punt returns and true freshman Derrius Guice was equally as dangerous on kickoff returns with a 23.6 average. White also returned a punt for a touchdown for the second straight year, while Guice had a 75-yard kickoff return that set up an LSU touchdown. First-year starter Trent Domingue connected on 13 of 17 field goals for the Tigers, while punter Jamie Keehn averaged 40.7 yards a punt to finish his career among the school’s all-time punting leaders.

On defense, Peveto oversaw a group of linebackers that were among the best in the SEC led by Butkus Award finalist Deion Jones and Beckwith. Jones led the Tigers with 100 tackles and was a second-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft by the Falcons.

In his first year back with the Tigers in 2014, LSU’s special teams accounted for one touchdown in both the kickoff and punt return game, while Keehn ranked No. 2 in the league in punting with a 44.9 average. LSU was first in the SEC in kickoff returns (26.7 average) and No. 3 in net punting (41.4 average).

Peveto left LSU following the 2008 season to become the head coach at Northwestern State, where he posted a 14-30 mark in four seasons from 2009-12 with the Demons.

Peveto was a member of Les Miles’ first staff at LSU as he joined the Tigers originally in the spring of 2005 as special teams coordinator and linebackers coach. He remained in that position until 2008 when he was promoted to co-defensive coordinator. LSU went a combined 42-11 during Peveto’s first stretch with the Tigers, a span that saw LSU claim a national title and win at least 11 games in a season three times.

In his first stint on the Tiger staff, Peveto’s development of linebackers was critical to the LSU defense rating among the top five in the nation for three straight years from 2005-07. During that three-year stretch, the LSU defense held opponents to an average of 266.7 total yards and 15.7 points per game.

In 2007, linebacker Ali Highsmith earned first team All-America honors from CBSsports.com, while also being named a second team All-American by the Associated Press.

As LSU’s special teams coordinator from 2005-07, Peveto had both his punter (Patrick Fisher) and placekicker (Colt David) earn first team All-SEC honors in 2007. It marked the first time in school history that LSU had the All-SEC punter and kicker on its roster in the same season. Fisher averaged a league-best 44.5 yards per punt in 2007, while David kicked a school-record 26 field goals and led the SEC in scoring with a league-record 147 total points.

Peveto joined the Tigers after two years at Middle Tennessee, where he served as secondary coach in 2003 before a promotion to defensive coordinator/linebackers coach in 2004. He led a Blue Raider defense that ranked second in the Sun Belt Conference in rushing defense.

Prior to his arrival at Middle Tennessee, Peveto spent four years (1999-2002) at Houston as the Cougars’ co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach. During his stay in Houston, he had four players earn five all-conference awards while three were placed on the league’s all-freshman squad.

Peveto served as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Northwestern State for three years (1996-98), helping the Demons capture back-to-back Southland Conference Championships and NCAA I-AA playoff berths.

Peveto’s “Purple Swarm” defense at Northwestern State was ranked nationally in several statistical categories during each of his three seasons, and four of his players earned All-America honors. In addition, four Demon players were selected in the NFL Draft. The 1998 Northwestern State team went 11-3, reached the I-AA semifinals, and ranked third nationally.

Prior to Northwestern State, Peveto spent two seasons on Danny Ford’s staff at Arkansas, while the Razorbacks won the SEC Western Division title with an 8-5 overall mark and played in the Carquest Bowl in 1995. While at Arkansas, Peveto served as special teams coordinator and linebackers coach.

Peveto coached the outside linebackers and special teams at Southern Miss in 1992 and 1993. He also coached the defensive line, linebackers and secondary at Stephen F. Austin from 1988-91, serving as the special teams coordinator all four years. The Lumberjacks led the nation in punt returns in 1989. SFA also won the Southland Conference and advanced to the 1989 I-AA championship game. His secondary was nationally ranked in passing efficiency defense in 1990 and 1991.

A 1987 graduate of SMU, Peveto began his coaching career as a secondary coach at Trinity Valley Community College.

Peveto was a four-year letterman for the Mustangs, played in four bowl games (Cotton, Sun, Aloha and Mirage), and was a team captain as a senior in 1986. During his playing career, SMU won two Southwest Conference championships (1982 and 1984) and had a combined record of 43-14-1.

A native of Orangefield, Texas, Peveto comes from a family with a rich football coaching tradition. His late father, Ed, coached high school football in the southeast Texas area and was inducted into the Greater Houston Coaches Hall of Honor in 1993 and into the Golden Triangle Coaches Hall of Fame in 1997. His two brothers were also high school coaches in Texas.

Peveto is married to the former Melissa Weser, and the couple has a daughter, Payton Marie and a son Jacob Edward.

Peveto’s Coaching Career:

1987 – Trinity Valley Community College – secondary
1988-91 – Stephen F. Austin – defensive line/linebackers/secondary/special teams coordinator
1992-93 – Southern Miss – outside linebackers/special teams coordinator
1994-95 – Arkansas – linebackers/special teams coordinator
1996-98 – Northwestern (La.) State – defensive coordinator/linebackers
1999-02 – Houston – secondary/co-defensive coordinator
2003 – Middle Tennessee – secondary

2004 – Middle Tennessee – defensive coordinator/linebackers
2005-07 – LSU – special teams coordinator/linebackers

2008 – LSU – co-defensive coordinator/linebackers
2009-12 – Northwestern State – head coach
2013 – Kentucky – special teams coordinator/safeties
2014 – LSU – special teams coordinator/defensive assistant

2015-16 – LSU – special teams coordinator/outside linebackers