LEXINGTON, Ky. — Perhaps it was only fitting on the biggest day of his coaching life the man dubbed “Joker” by his mother decided to have a little fun.
Standing at the podium minutes after being introduced as the eventual successor to Rich Brooks at Kentucky on Friday, offensive coordinator Joker Phillips couldn’t help it when asked what it means to know he’ll one day be the first black head football coach at his alma mater.
“Wow, you never told me I was African-American,” Phillips said, stifling a laugh while turning to Brooks for an explanation.
The laughter died down, and the 44-year-old Phillips, a former Kentucky wide receiver who helped mold the Wildcats into one of the nation’s most potent offenses this season, turned serious.
“This thing is about building continuity in the program, which will continue to grow this program,” Phillips said. “It’s also about production on the field. It’s not about being African-American or Caucasian. It’s about continuing to grow the program.”
It’s a program that’s flourished under Brooks, who spent five years patiently leading the Wildcats from an NCAA-sanctioned mess to respectability in arguably the country’s toughest conference. Kentucky posted its second straight 8-5 season in 2007. The Wildcats beat Florida State 35-28 in the Music City Bowl last month to win consecutive bowl games for the first time since 1951-52.
It’s a job unique in its challenges, one that Brooks and athletic director Mitch Barnhart didn’t want to leave to just anybody.
For a program lacking in tradition and any real sense of stability or sustained success since Paul “Bear” Bryant bolted for Texas A&M more than 50 years ago, Barnhart hopes having Brooks’ replacement in hand will give the Wildcats some much-needed momentum.
“There has not been a senior class since 1996 that had the same head coach during their tenure until this year,” Barnhart said. “That’s important for us. In a different way, these guys will be able to say that. They’ll be able to say that (Phillips) is an extension of (Brooks), and that is huge for us.”
While Brooks quelled retirement talk Friday by signing a one-year contract extension through 2011 that will pay him $1.6 million annually, he also knows at 66 years old he’s too old to be talking about five-year plans. Rather than let rumors swirl about how much longer he’ll stick around, he approached Phillips about taking over whenever he decides “to go fishing,” as Brooks put it.
“I think that Joker Phillips has earned the right to do this and carry this program forward,” said Brooks, who is 25-35 in five seasons at Kentucky and 116-144-4 in 23 seasons at the collegiate level. “(But) I don’t want anybody to jump to the conclusion that I’m done, because I’m not.”
Phillips just completed his third season with the Wildcats. Led by quarterback Andre Woodson, Kentucky’s offense was one of the best in the SEC.
Phillips was born in tiny Franklin in southern Kentucky and played for the Wildcats from 1981-84 before spending three seasons with the Washington Redskins.
Kentucky’s offensive renaissance under Phillips made him a hot coaching prospect, though he said he never really considered leaving his alma mater.
“Opportunities come up every year, but this is where I wanted to be,” Phillips said while nodding at Brooks. “This guy is pretty hard to leave.”
Instead, it will be Brooks who leaves, eventually anyway. While he didn’t offer a timetable on his departure, Brooks did promise to step away before he turns 79, the age of friend and Florida State coach Bobby Bowden.
“Joker won’t have to wait that long,” Brooks said with a laugh.
Maybe, though Brooks allows he’s got as much energy now as he’s ever had. And while he can relax knowing his last rebuilding project will be in Phillip’s hands whenever he retires, there’s still some unfinished business: namely proving that Kentucky’s success is sustainable.
“Why can’t we be part of the discussion every year instead of perennially being picked at the bottom of the league,” Brooks said. “Believe me, we are not going to disappear next year. This football team is a good football team and we will give people fits next year, believe me.”
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Comments » 22
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Rock on, Cats! Fling the orb. Vols are about to learn to pound the rock.
TnVolFaninSmyrna writes:
And this comes as a surprise to whom?
jdcvols#230433 writes:
and Randy Sanders become the OC for them??
givehim6 writes:
Good time to think about leaving while KY is ok. Good luck joker on breaking that winnles recard.
JHite7 writes:
Who cares???? What's for dinner?
Colliervol writes:
New motto for KY football fans: Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right....Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.
TommyJack writes:
Steelers Wheel?
Colliervol writes:
That would be it TJ.
Colliervol writes:
I'm not saying who the clowns would be. By some of the comments of their fans who post on here, they have plenty to choose from.
Brama writes:
Alot can happen between now & 2011, I thought after the 98 season that Randy Sanders would be head Coach at UT one day. I was wrong
GreerVol22 writes:
Hey Joker, we have a Spiderman running the show down here now, are you ready for some of this?
mtnvol writes:
With a name like Joker you'd think they would run more trick plays.
LR_Vol writes:
Sanders probably should have gone to W.Carolina when he had the chance...
andy112382#209793 writes:
If Sanders becomes the OC, you can add another 20 years to the winning streak.....we all knew what plays would be called when he was OC, I doubt that would change too much.
jdcvols#230433 writes:
Touchdown, now don't touchy about people commenting about ol Randy. I know you guys are real tight and fish together.
CoverOrange writes:
LR_Vol, RS didn't have a chance at W.Carolina, thus why he withdrew his name.
volunteer_cowboy writes:
guys!!! you have got to remember that sanders called the plays fulmer could change them and he did, im not saying im on sanders side but alot of the past QB's knew what the truth was and they took sanders side and alot of recruits want to play for him
LargeOrange writes:
Fulmer didn't change Sander's play calls, that is a joke, Sanders was way over challenged as the OC for a major College program, that is why he only qualified for a position coach for a minor D1 program at Kentucky. He was given a chance of a life-time at UT and he wasn't up for it and still isn't.
jevolball7 writes:
WHO CARES?
pms151 writes:
Now maybe you idiots who thought RS was the OC at KY will shut up. Also given the close ties that RS has with CPF maybe this explains why we didn't go after Joker.
rockytop#413695 writes:
AirForceOne, or should I say "Kentucky fan too ashamed to admit it on the Vols board"?... No unfortunately the Vols gave away their chance to beat LSU in the SEC Championship, but we did manage to beat the team that beat the National Champs. In fact we beat both teams that beat the National Champs!
And you are nuts if you think Fulmer called the plays when Sanders was OC. Sure, he was still HC and in charge, but Sanders called the plays and was way over his head.
Kentucky better find another Woodson soon, or they may not hit 500 this year.
LargeOrange writes:
Hey Air Farce check out this stat - THE LONGEST LOSING STREAK IN ALL OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL. KY - 0 TN - 23. I wish they would have made Sanders the HC at KY, maybe he'll get the Basketball HC job, he couldn't do any worse.
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