Rebels, Commodores, and Chargers to Compete in Cook Off: Sunday, January 25

Free Event is at the Manning Center

University, Miss. (TLV) – They are coaches.

Ole Miss Women’s Soccer Coach Matt Mott will cook off against Oxford Chargers Football Coach Johnny Hill and Lafayette High Football Coach Eric Robertson.

We cheer them. We boo them. We praise them. We question them.

But they cook, too. And who doesn’t love a good cook?

The culinary capital of Mississippi will host a Coaches Cook Off on Sunday, January 25th in The Manning Center on campus at 2 pm. The free event will kick start Oxford Restaurant Week 2015 and feature a diverse group of local leaders trying their hand at cookery perfection.

“The whole premise of this event is to get people excited about restaurant week,” Director of Visit Oxford MS Mary Allyn Hedges, said. “We wanted to incorporate all local athletics in this event: Ole Miss, Lafayette High, and Oxford High. The fact that local food charities will benefit from this week makes it that much more important.”

Participants include: Ole Miss Women’s Soccer Coach Matt Mott, Oxford High Football Coach Johnny Hill, and Lafayette High Football Coach Eric Robertson.

Mott, a grilling enthusiast who utilizes the burners as a mental break says he will prepare chicken and steak sliders and claims they are a favorite of every tailgate he attends.

Is that enough to win? Mott is preparing for a battle and maybe hoping for a little luck.

“I feel like I am going into a game where we have no idea how good the opponent is,” he said. “I’m actually hoping the other two coaches are always so involved in preparing their teams for their games they never get to cook for tailgates. We are gonna try and do our best and hope that is good enough.”

Declaring the judgment? Athletics Director Ross Bjork, longtime voice of the Rebels David Kellum, and Ward 1 Alderman Jay Hughes.

The event is kid friendly and will include a bouncy house on the practice field inside the Manning Center. Local food based charities honored include: Good Food for Oxford Schools, More Than a Meal, Love Pocks, Meals on Wheels, and Oxford Food Pantry. While the event is free and open to the public, a suggested canned donation for the Oxford Food Pantry is encouraged.

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This article was originally printed in The Local Voice #221 (printed January 22, 2015.)
To download a PDF of this issue, click here.

About the Author

Carver Rayburn Carver Rayburn was born and raised an Ole Miss Rebel in Oxford, Mississippi. He has worked for many newspapers and magazines in both editorial and advertising, including OffBeat Magazine, The Hattiesburg American, The Meridian Star, The Neshoba Democrat, The Madison County Journal, The Clarke County Tribune, The New Albany Gazette, Southeastern Football Saturdays, and Rebel Yell. He currently lives in New Orleans and has a four-year-old son, Hart. You can contact Carver at carverrayburn@hotmail.com.