THE FO0TBALL STAFF
HEAD COACH
JOKER PHILLIPS
It was the final game of the 2011 regular season and the Kentucky football team prepared to host its oldest rival, Tennessee. There was but one slight problem. The Wildcats didn’t have a healthy quarterback. UK’s top two QBs were injured and Coach Joker Phillips refused to sacrifice the future of a talented freshman by breaking his redshirt for one game. So, what to do? Once again showing the ability to adapt that he has displayed during his career, Phillips and the UK staff came up with an unlikely maneuver -turn senior wide receiver Matt Roark into a quarterback, give him a limited number of plays to master, and attack the opponent with what basically amounted to the old single-wing offense. The plan worked perfectly. UK’s ground attack controlled the ball for almost 36 minutes, Roark executed the simple game plan without a single turnover, and the Wildcat defense was stalwart. The result was a 10-7 victory, ending a 26-year losing streak against the Volunteers. In recognition of the unorthodox strategy and improbable out-
come, ESPN.com honored Phillips with an SEC “helmet sticker.” The simple strategy enabled Roark and the Wildcats to “play fast,” a trademark philosophy of Phillips. It’s a philosophy he embraces in coaching as well. Phillips has been a bundle of energy since taking over the UK head coaching position on Jan. 6, 2010. From coaching to recruiting to the dozens of personal appearances he has made across the South, Phillips has been tireless in promoting the vision for his passion -- Kentucky football. The foundation of his fervor is easy to see. A native Kentuckian and former Wildcat player, Phillips is only the fifth Kentucky alumnus to become head coach of the Wildcats. Phillips’ appointment also has significance in that he is the Wildcats’ first African-American head football coach and only the second in the history of the Southeastern Conference. Phillips’ first act as head coach was to imprint his personal philosophy, “Operation Win,” on the team -- win in the classroom, win in the community and win on the field. Phillips’ energy has led to some positive results in recruiting and on the field, where Phillips became the first coach in Kentucky history to take a team to a bowl game in his first season. In addition, Phillips won more games than any first-year UK coach since Blanton Collier in 1954. His teams also have broken long-time streaks with wins over South Carolina and Tennessee.
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SCHOOL HISTORY
Prior to being elevated to head coach, Phillips was on the staff of Coach Rich Brooks from 2003-09, including the last five seasons as offensive coordinator. Named offensive coordinator before the 2005 season, Phillips made an immediate impact as Kentucky improved its scoring average and total offense in each of the first three years under Phillips’ direction. The yearly progression reached its zenith when Kentucky scored a school-record 475 points during its 13-game schedule in 2007, helping spark the Wildcats to a second-consecutive Music City Bowl championship. UK’s average of 36.5 points per game ranked 15th nationally. Total offense also was a highlight of the ’07 season. UK’s total offense of 5,764 yards was the second highest in school history. The average of 443.4 yards per game is fourth in UK annals. Phillips was nationally acclaimed following Kentucky’s 43-37 upset of No. 1 LSU. He was named National Coordinator of the Week by Rivals.com and the National Offensive Coordinator of the Week by the Master Coaches Survey. Phillips’ offensive style has shown flexibility and balance between the run and the pass. During his time as offensive coordinator, UK has had a 3,000-yard passer (André Woodson, who accomplished the feat twice), two 1,000-yard receivers (Keenan Burton and Steve Johnson) and a 1,000-yard rusher (Rafael Little, who reached the mark twice). Balance is shown by the fact that Kentucky led the SEC in passing yardage in 2007 while also rushing for 2,021 yards, 155.5 yards per game and 4.2 yards per attempt. All three rushing marks were UK’s best in a dozen seasons, since 1995. The ’07 season was the first time in school history that UK averaged at least 250 passing yards per game while rushing for at least 150 yards per game. As wide receivers coach, Phillips has mentored some of the best in school history – Burton, Johnson, Dicky Lyons Jr. and Derek Abney. With Burton, Johnson and Lyons leading the way, along with tight end Jacob Tamme and tailback Rafael Little, Kentucky was the only team in the nation in 2007 that had five players with at least 1,000 receiving yards during their careers. Phillips’ players have their names etched into the NCAA, SEC and UK record books. 16
2012 KENTUCKY FOOTBALL