Matt Lubick Leaves Rams for Ole Miss

The assistant coach Sonny Lubick best relates to - son Matt - is leaving the Colorado State University football staff to coach at Mississippi.

Matt Lubick, who has coached receivers and served as unofficial recruiting coordinator the past four seasons at CSU, will coach receivers for new Rebels coach Ed Orgeron, who was hired last month to replace David Cutcliffe, who was fired at season's end.

Matt Lubick's departure ends a unique father-son coaching situation at CSU. Sonny Lubick, who is entering his 13th season at CSU, hired his son in 2001 after he had established himself as an up-and-coming coach and tireless recruiter during a stint as an assistant at Oregon State.

"I really enjoyed having Matt here; it was a lot of fun," Sonny Lubick said Wednesday. "Sometimes those father-son things don't work out, and that makes it tough on everybody. But Matt was a good worker who was dedicated to Colorado State, and he was the one on the staff who came in and told me my faults better than anyone else. I'll miss that."

Since his arrival in 2001, Matt Lubick was determined to upgrade CSU's recruiting, contacting the top players on the West Coast and convincing several of them to play for the Rams. Among his recruiting coups are wideouts David Anderson, Johnny Walker and Damon Morton, and starting conerback Robert Herbert. Anderson, who will be a senior, has a chance to leave as CSU's all-time leader in receiving yards and catches.

"Matt always has had the reputation of being a good recruiter who really works hard at that, but he's also a pretty darn good football coach," Sonny Lubick said. "His receivers were always prepared, they worked hard and they played as hard as any position players on our team. He has that ability to demand a lot of hard work, but those guys also respected him. He made them responsible and accountable."

Matt Lubick said it was hard to leave his family behind.

"I love CSU, I love Fort Collins, and I'm leaving a lot of people I love very much," he said. "Having the opportunity to coach with dad these last four years is something I will always cherish. He not only was my boss, he's my best friend and my hero. But this job gives me a chance to grow in this profession. I would like to be a head coach some day, and you've got to be willing to move around to do that."

At Mississippi, Matt Lubick again will be taking advantage of family ties. Orgeron, who just completed a highly successful run as the defensive line coach at two-time national champion Southern California, worked with Sonny Lubick at Miami in the early 1990s before Lubick took the job at CSU.

He already is on the road recruiting in Florida for Ole Miss.

"Matt has a chance to work in a major conference and double his current salary, so I'm happy for him," his father said said.

Sonny Lubick said he does not anticipate losing any other coaches. However, with several NCAA Division I-A coaching jobs available in recent weeks, there are dozens of openings around the country.

He added that CSU's recruiting class is nearly complete so there is no rush to fill the vacancy created by his son's departure. He said he will look at several former CSU players, including James Cregg, Anthoney Hill and Ron Antoine, and added that he may shift current staff members to other positions to accommodate the right hire.

"I think it will be at least three weeks before we fill the spot," the coach said. "We want to pick the guy who fits best at Colorado State and with the staff. It will all depend on who fits in best."

Matt Lubick said he is looking forward to working in the rugged Southeastern Conference but will miss coaching the Rams.

"I'll always be a die-hard CSU fan, and I would love to be part of what I truly believe will be a special season next year for those guys," he said. "I hope to come back and coach there again one day."