SouthEastern Wildcat Review

Jason Garrett of the Dallas Cowboys. Jimbo Fisher of the Florida State Seminoles. Will Muschamp of the Texas Longhorns. Former Eastern Kentucky Colonels Coach Danny Hope, now of Purdue University.
What do all of these names have in common?
All of these men either hold or have held the title of "Head Coach in Waiting." On Friday, January 18, 2008, the Offensive Coordinator of the Kentucky Wildcats, Joker Phillips, added his name to the above list. This is a relatively new trend in the sports world, for a head coach to name his successor prior to his departure from the program. On many levels the idea is a good one, as it shows recruits (and returning players) that the program will remain stable and not have any drastic philosophical changes. The H.C.I.W. is, under most circumstances, a coach with a lot of experience within the program and one that would continue on with the processes and ideals established by the current head coach. The H.C.I.W. already has a relationship with the organization's administration and fans, allowing both to already know what kind of product to expect to see on the field. The future of the team has been set.

Personally, I haven't made up my mind whether I like the idea of a head coach in waiting or not. While all the above facts are true, I think that it really limits a program's options. What if (and I know this might be a little stretch for 'Cat fans) after Brooks announces his retirement, a high-profile coach becomes available. Say that for whatever reason, an Urban Meyer, Steve Spurrier, or Rich Rodriguez had left their current teams and was showing an interest in the Kentucky job? Wouldn't someone like this have the ability to maybe take the UK football program to new heights? I'm not saying anything against Joker as the best case scenario would be to keep him on staff in his current position. Don't get me wrong, I like Joker and think he will do a good job as the head coach. Maybe he will be the coach that continues raising the bar as Brooks did before him. Just imagine for a moment, however, the instant credibility one of these names would bring to Lexington. Enough of the debate, let's take a look at the man who, maybe as soon as the end of the upcoming season, will be charting the future course of the Kentucky program.

Joseph "Joker" Phillips was born April 12, 1963, in Franklin, Ky. Always athletic, he was a three-sport star at Franklin-Simpson High School, lettering in football, basketball, and track. His mother and grandfather bestowed the nickname "Joker" on him due to the fact that his father's name was also Joe, and they didn't want to call for Joe and have them both come running. "Joker" quarterbacked the Wildcats (a mascot he would become very familiar with) to two consecutive Class AAA Kentucky state titles in 1979 and 1980. He was also named to the All-State team as a senior. Since leaving Franklin, he has stayed very close to his hometown roots, returning every year to conduct the Joker Phillips Football Fundamentals Camp. His high school coach, Kentucky Hall of Fame member James Mathews, had nothing but good things to say about his former player:

"He's a class act," Mathews said. "He's a classy guy who gets along with people and knows how to deal with kids. He also has a great relationship with all the other coaches. I've never heard a negative thing about him."

Very high praise, and a sentiment that is echoed among all people that know Joker, one of the two most famous products of Franklin, the other being PGA golfer Kenny Perry. Following graduation, Joker accepted a scholarship offer to play wide receiver at the University of Kentucky, where little did he know, he would spend the majority of coaching career.

Joker arrived in Lexington on campus in the fall of 1981 and ended up being a four-year letterman for the Wildcats. He donned jersey numbers 80 and 84 during his Kentucky career, which concluded with him being 5th on the all-time receiving list sporting final numbers of 75 catches, 935 yards, and 9 touchdowns. In his senior year of 1984, Joker had 28 receptions, 305 yards, and 5 touchdowns and was part of the last UK team to win 9 games in a season. The team also accomplished something that year that hasn't been done since, they defeated the Tennessee Volunteers. He helped lead the 'Cats to back-to-back Hall of Fame bowl appearances. One of the highlights of his UK career came on October 15, 1983, when he had two touchdown catches during a 21-13 victory over the LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge. Fellow Franklin product Kenny Baird supplied the other touchdown with an interception return. This prompted his old high school to produce bumper stickers which read: Franklin-Simpson 21 LSU 13

After graduation, Phillips spent the next three years playing professional football in the NFL with the Washington Redskins in 1985 and 1987, spending 1986 with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. Following his pro career, Joker followed his heart and began his coaching career with his alma mater in Lexington.

Joker came back to UK as a Graduate Assistant, a position he held for the '88 and '89 seasons. He was the Assistant Recruiting Coordinator in 1990, then was promoted to Wide Receivers Coach in '91 where he was instrumental in the rise of Derek Abney. Joker left UK after the '96 season to accept a position with Cincinnati Bearcats where he coached the wide receivers and cornerbacks. Then he moved north to Minnesota in '99, helping the team receive a berth in the Sun Bowl. Head Coach Bob Davie of Notre Dame hired Joker in 2001 as the wide receivers coach, replacing Urban Meyer who was hired to be the head coach for Bowling Green. After only one year with the Fighting Irish he came back to the SEC and served in the same capacity under Lou Holtz at South Carolina.

"Joker Phillips is a class individual who comes to us very highly recommended," said Holtz. "He's going to be an outstanding addition to our staff. He is a true role model for our players, and he possesses a well-rounded knowledge of the game."

While performing an internship with the Atlanta Falcons in 1998, Joker met his future boss, Rich Brooks. After Brooks was hired at Kentucky, Joker soon followed to become the WR coach and Recruiting Coordinator. In 2005 he was promoted to his current position of Offensive Coordinator. Kentucky's offense soon became one of the best in the SEC. In 2007, UK ranked 4th in the conference (15th nationally) in scoring at 36.5 points per game, the second highest total in school history. The Wildcats were the only team in country that sported five players with over 1,000 career receiving yards. (Keenan Burton, Steve Johnson, Dicky Lyons Jr., Jacob Tamme, and Rafael Little). Phillips' offensive style has shown great flexability and balance between the running and passing games. His tenure has seen a 3,000 yard passer (Woodson), two 1,000 yard receivers (Burton and Johnson), and a 1,000 yard rusher (Little). He gave up the title of Recruiting Coordinator in 2005, however he remains very heavily involved with all the players UK hopes to bring to campus.

"Joker Phillips is huge down here," said Courtney Dalcourt, a former Franklin-Simpson quarterback (now at Western Kentucky) whom many said reminded them of Joker when he was the same age. "Everybody knows him and loves him, so when he's down here (in Franklin), it's a big deal."

Joker has been recognized as one of the nation's top recruiters by Sports Illustrated and Rivals. Kentucky appears to have a bright future ahead of them with Joker at the helm. Regardless of my personal feelings about naming a head coach in waiting, unless an absolute marquee name was available, UK should continue to build upon the positive foundation that Rich Brooks has poured. Only time will tell if this decision was the right one, and Joker certainly has the Kentucky roots and professional pedigree required to lead the 'Cats higher up the SEC and BCS ladders. His attitude towards the team has not changed since the announcement to succeed Brooks was made as evidenced by the way his players feel towards him:

"He's always been the same guy to me," said Dicky Lyons when asked about the future Wildcat head coach. "You might think he'd be more of a business guy now, but he's still easy-going with the guys. He's a real reasonable guy, wants to talk to you, see how you're doing. I think he's going to be a great head coach."

At the end of the day, I will trust the opinion of the man responsible for the turnaround of the Kentucky football program, who obviously has all the faith in the world in one Joseph "Joker" Phillips:

"As I am one of the elder statesmen in the coaching profession, I thought it important for recruits to know that there will be continuity in the program and the coaching staff," Head Coach Rich Brooks said. "Joker Phillips has earned the right as a Kentucky graduate, and having built one of the most productive offenses in school history, to have the opportunity to lead the program in the future."

Everything else you have said has come true Papaw Brooks, let's hope this does too.