Can Phillips take Kentucky to the next level?
Last January Rich Brooks announced that he was retiring as Kentucky’s head football coach after seven seasons. He was replaced by offensive coordinator Joker Phillips, who had been the head coach in waiting for two seasons.
“There is no doubt that coach Brooks set the bar pretty high but our job is to take what he has done and build on it,” Phillips said on a recent visit to Atlanta. “He told me I was ready and I feel ready.”
Brooks left Kentucky with a record of 39-47 but that doesn’t begin to tell the story of what he accomplished In Lexington. Consider:
**–The University of Kentucky has two coaches (Paul “Bear” Bryant, Jerry Claiborne) in the College Football Hall of Fame. Another Wildcat coach, Blanton Collier, left Kentucky and won an NFL championship with the Cleveland Browns in 1964. None of those coaches ever took Kentucky to four straight bowl games. Brooks did.
**–Brooks inherited a program devastated by NCAA sanctions. He struggled for three seasons and in 2006-2007 Kentucky posted back-to-back eight-win seasons for the first time in 30 years.
**–In 2007 Kentucky beat No. 1 LSU and No. 9 Louisville, the first time in school history that the Wildcats had beaten two Top 10 teams in the same season.
**–Last season the Wildcats, after beating both Georgia and Auburn on the road, were in a position to get an invitation to the Outback Bowl on New Year’s Day. But a 30-24 overtime loss to Tennessee sent Kentucky to the Music City Bowl.
“That one hurt,” Brooks told me when I saw him a couple of weeks later. “That one hurt a lot.”
After Kentucky’s loss to Clemson in Nashville Brooks, who turns 69 this August, decided the time had come to turn the program over to Phillips. Phillips played at Kentucky for Claiborne and has better appreciation than most of what the school has accomplished in the past four seasons and what it could still do.
“We have come a long way but we still have a long way to go to compete for the (SEC East) championship, which is our goal every year,” said Phillips, who started his coaching career at Kentucky and then made stops at Cincinnati, Minnesota, Notre Dame, and South Carolina before returning to Lexington as recruiting coordinator in 2003.
Since Phillips took over as offensive coordinator in 2005, Kentucky has been good—and sometimes great—when it comes to moving the football. His 2007 offense, led by quarterback Andre Woodson, set a school record with 475 points.
The 2010 offense looks like it could be another good one. When quarterback Mike Hartline got hurt last season, Phillips and Brooks took the redshirt off Morgan Newton, who was the Indiana high school player of the year in 2008. Kentucky scored 34 points against Georgia and 24 against Monte Kiffin’s Tennessee defense. Both quarterbacks return along with wide receiver Randall Cobb, who is a big weapon out of the “Wildcat” formation.
Four starting offensive linemen are gone.
“We’ve got some work to do there,” Phillips said.
The bigger concern is over on defense where Trevard Lindley, one of the nation’s best cornerbacks, is gone along with Micah Johnson, an All-SEC caliber linebacker. Seven starters are back from a unit that was No. 53 nationally (359.69 ypg).
“We have had good players at Kentucky who can compete and win at the SEC level,” said Phillips. “But we need more and it’s our job to convince them that Kentucky is the right place for them.”
Phillips is known as a tireless recruiter. Since he arrived, Kentucky has gone into Georgia and done very well. The Wildcats have a virtual pipeline of players out of LaGrange. Lindley was from Hiram. Last year’s Kentucky squad had 19 players from the state of Georgia.
But in order to keep things moving forward, said Phillips, Kentucky has to win its own state and that means having success in Louisville, where his friend, former Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong, has just taken over as head coach.
“It’s going to be interesting,” Phillips said of the recruiting battles to come.
Phillips has a chance to get off to a pretty decent start at Kentucky. Everybody in the SEC East has some issues. The Wildcats don’t play Alabama, LSU or Arkansas, which look like the three best teams in the Western Division. If the Wildcats can win their opener at Louisville on Sept. 4, they have a decent chance to go 4-0 in non-conference games as Western Kentucky, Akron, Charleston Southern are the other three opponents outside the SEC. A fifth straight bowl does not seem out of the question for Kentucky.
“Our job is to move the program forward,” said Phillips. “We took a big step forward under coach Brooks. Now we need to take another one. We showed that we can compete with any team in this league. Now we need to prove we can beat people on a consistent basis. I’m excited.”
Will Kentucky fans be excited as well? They should be.
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74 comments Add your comment
SWATS
April 7th, 2010
5:33 pm
ATTN: The Rifleman
Lexington is not a racist town you fool. I am from Lexington but have lived in Atlanta for years now and Atlanta is a whole more racist.
Plus get your facts straight the University of Kentucky and Adolf Rupp were the FIRST school in the SEC to recruit black players for basketball. Rupp won with Kentucky boys and it just happens Kentucky is still to this day is one of the whitest states in the country but that does not make it racist.
I love Tubby but it was time for him to go. If Calipari produces like Tubby they will run him out of town also.
nashorn99
April 7th, 2010
5:51 pm
Swats I think we need to rename the stadium as well. About time we get a football name on it. Say Collier stadium who knows. But take the basketball name off of it.
gcs
April 7th, 2010
5:54 pm
You are right. Bear Bryant did not take UK to four straight bowl games. However, he did have a winning season all 8 years he was there. By today’s silly standards that would easily place the Wildcats in a bowl all 8 seasons.
Brooks’ last two season records were both 7-6.
.
nashorn99
April 7th, 2010
5:58 pm
gcs check your math Brooks- won his 3rd bowl game making him 8-5, he lost his last bowl game making him 7-6
Kookykats
April 7th, 2010
6:21 pm
One thing NOT to overlook is the fact that Joker will be backed by a strong football-experienced AD in Mitch Barnhart. Both Claiborne and Bear were captive to the basketball first mentality that currently does not exist.
Our fanbase, facilites(in a few years) and staff are top-notch….no more excuses-’Operation Win’ is on the way.
Charlie Bama
April 7th, 2010
6:45 pm
I’ll say this much: Kentucky has a great family of football fans–they show up and support the team, even when there’s no chance whatsoever they can win (ok, only in many cases). If anyone cares, I always –I mean ALWAYS– pull for Kentucky when they play the Orange Killbillies (you know who you are). God’s speed, Wildcats.
Tidewatch
April 7th, 2010
6:52 pm
When Bryant was coaching, a team had to do better than break even to get to a bowl
UKat
April 7th, 2010
6:56 pm
I’m a longtime UK football fan, have been for 37 yrs., I’m also a Bama football fan due to the years we’ve stuck so bad in football, (I had to have somebody to cheer for that had a chance). We don’t recruit Big 10 states well because those kids were raised on Big 10 football…….they want to play Big 10 football, much like Southern kids want to play SEC football….(and who could blame them).
We don’t produce a lot of football talent in-state or baseketball talent either, I just don’t know why but we don’t. We’re much like Tennessee in that we have to recruit heavily out of state for both sports, I’m a football first fan and I think you’d find out if y’all checked that there are a LOT of football first UK fans, we’ve just had basketball shoved down our throats for the past 50 yrs……when you suck in football for as long as we have off and on, some folks had no choice but to follow what was winning.
As far as the racist crap, sure they are a lot of racists in Kentucky…..and before the Civil War we had a lot of blacks, but a lot of them went north across the river right before, during and after the war…kind of a mass exodus. There are lots of racists in ALL SEC states, nothing new there but that isn’t why Tubby was run out and it won’t be why Joker is if he doesn’t produce a winner. I don’t care what color the cat is if he can produce winners every year.
I don’t know about y’all, but it’s Spring FOOTBALL time in the Bluegrass!
Kentucky Football: Shaping up in the Springtime « MrSEC.com
April 7th, 2010
7:20 pm
[...] Can Phillips take Kentucky to the next level? | Mr. College Football [...]
Big Blue Nation
April 7th, 2010
7:28 pm
Rifleman…I do not believe their is a more cowardly way to categorize a group of people. I have lived in Lexington for 9 years and my experiences could not be further from your description of the people in Lexington. To make a blanket statement about a group of people of which the overwhelming majority you do not know, is incredibly ignorant and puts you in the same class as the racist people you speak of. Many KY fans still follow Tubby and wish him well at Minnesota.
Good luck Joker and Go Cats!
Tom
April 7th, 2010
9:20 pm
Compare the schedules Claiborne, Bryant, and Collier played to the ones we saw out of Brooks and now, Phillips.
Claiborne, under the current system and the number of bowl games would have gone to seven straight bowls.
If the Cats are so improved why are they always battling Vandy for sixth place in the Eastern Division?
With 36 bowls this year meaning 72 out of 120 are going to bowls, average is good enough to get you there.
RomeDawg
April 7th, 2010
9:45 pm
Phillips seems like a nice man but I think the Kentucky football job is a dead end. It doesn’t seem like the type of school that will do well in football annually. They may have the occasional “flare up” 9 win season but no chance for much more than that.
UK Football
April 7th, 2010
9:45 pm
Since there seem to be more misconceptions about UK Football than any other school…let’s set the record straight.
1) Kentucky is not just a basketball school. In Football, UK has 1 National Championship (Bryant), 2 SEC Championships (Bryant & Curci)& has gone to 4 straight Bowl Games (better than some in the SEC).
2) UK does not have “2nd rate talent”. UK has put 16 players in the NFL the last two years (draft & free agents combined) & will put more in the league this year than anyone in the SEC not named Alabama or Florida.
3) UK beat #1 LSU in ‘07 when they won the national title, has beaten UGA 2 of the last 4 years, Auburn, Arkansas (regularly), Louisville (has owned them recently), Mississippi State (regularly) & beaten Clemson, Florida State & East Carolina in Bowls the last 4 years!
4) Lexington is not any more racist than any other town of its size in the southeast (probably less than the deep south). Kentucky is not without diversity, as it is in the Top 1/3 of the nation’s Black population, just not as high as Mississippi, South Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, etc. UK had the 1st Black player in the SEC in Football in 1967 (while the rest of the SEC didn’t until the 1970s).
5) UK recruits the players in-state that can win in the SEC & does well out of state (like Tennessee) in Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Alabama, Ohio, etc.
6) UK is improving in the SEC & is a player in the SEC East Pecking order…whether fans of other schools want to admit it or not…UK is on the verge of climbing the SEC ladder & Joker Phillips (a Kentuckian himself that just happens to be Black will take the Program to the next level)…GO CATS!
Kovyoverrated
April 7th, 2010
10:27 pm
WOW, somebody give that Wyvern guy a sedative.Love the passion, though. You will see Kentucky, Duke, Vanderbilt, Miss State, etc winning games in the near future over Bama, Fla, Ga. There are more talented players coming out of high school than ever before.What you saw on a small scale monday night with Butler almost winning it all, will happen in football in the next 4 years. Even with the BCS, one year there will be a “perfect storm” of losses by the majors and an undefeated season by Boise State or Utah that will put them in the biggest game (thanks to senatorial pressure) and they will win. It is coming. So, why not Kentucky?
termigator
April 7th, 2010
10:59 pm
Was at the KY UGA game last year and I saw something Ive not witnessed in 40 years; a KY team with no quit. They are my darkhorse pick for 2010 in the East.
Big Blue News » Blog Archiv » Joker: Onward and Upward
April 8th, 2010
1:40 am
[...] Barnhart of the Atlanta Journal Constitution has a good article today regarding Joker Phillips and the direction of the University of Kentucky Football program. In it, [...]
Dawgbreath
April 8th, 2010
5:55 am
10 straight losses against SC. No they will finish 5th.
help, I live in Ga
April 8th, 2010
10:26 am
Hey Mikey,
Beating Ga didn’t make Ky relavent last year. hell everybody beat Ga. Lyin Lame Kitten stomped em like a narc at a biker-rally. It’s hard to believe Dawg fans can still be arrogant. If you poll SEC players, they’d rather play Ga for homecoming instead of Ky.
I like what they’ve done at Ky. They should’ve beaten Tn last year and that would’ve changed alot of domino situations. They outplayed the Vols. Can’t wait to watch Ky v. Ga this year. Go Cats!
Nashwan
April 8th, 2010
11:20 am
I am a Lexingtonian and know Joker a little bit. One thing is that Lexington is not a racist city as suggested in a prior post in the least. He and Cal are the kings in this town. One thing I can say for sure is that Joker and the coaches that surround him are top notch recruiters and strategists, so I am confident if Kentucky can gain consistent QB play, the wins will stack up. Nice article Tony, and look forward to more in the future.
GATOR88
April 9th, 2010
11:14 am
UK fans thanks for the input in recruiting. I would think some of those BIG 10 ohio/indiana/michigan and Illinois boys wouldn’t take too much coaxing to come to UK if the pendulum starts to swing their way. They have seen how the SEC has been beatch slapping the Big 10 (yes Michigan did smack the gators in the 07 season-08 Capital One bowl-so don’t bother). Plus have you ever seen the “girls of the big 10″ ??? or ever seen the “girls” from UW-Madison? yikes…on a separate note who has the best women-overall-in the SEC. Let’s do 3 categories. 1-school with barely any ugly chix and plenty of lookers. 2-school with some outright stunners. 3-easiest women. I don’t have much insight to the Miss. Schools and Arkansas but a little on the rest. I will go with #1 BAMA (ole Miss is probably there too). #2 Georgia (with UF close 2nd) #3 UF (with LSU close 2nd)
Cinn Gator Prez
April 12th, 2010
9:21 am
Having been to every Florida game in Lexington since 1991, UK always supports their football team, which I really respect. Having said that, they’ll NEVER get remotely close to Atlanta and the SEC championship; it simply can’t be argued how this could possibly occur. No matter what UK does in recruiting or on the field, at least 6-7 other schools in the SEC will always maintain their recruiting and winning advantages. Now throw in Charley Strong at Louisville (he’ll win there). UK can’t ever win 10 games in back to back seasons unless the NCAA helps them.
HardTruth Soldier....
April 12th, 2010
9:57 am
Rifleman, While I’ll agree with some of your comments, I must admit UK is only one of Two Schools in the SEC to ever Give a “Black Man” an opportunity to be a head coach, so who’s more racist the ghost of Adolph or the ghost of the SEC?
HardTruth Soldier....
April 12th, 2010
10:04 am
I livehere in Ga, Ga has whipped ya’ll so often, now your sounding like a Tech fan. Beat us two times in the last 12 like you did and we’re second tier to you guys? Please stop embarassing your self and don’t live here. Get out scumb bag and move to KKK country in Lexington! BTW Louisville will kick that ass this year to!
UK Football
April 13th, 2010
8:11 am
HardTruth Soldier, are you serious? Yes, UGA has beaten UK significantly in the past, but not so much here in the last few years. UGA is not the same program they were in the early Richt years, & neither is UK the same program they were in the early Brooks years. UGA is down compared to then & UK is significantly up compared to then. No bias in that statement. Also, you’re out of line w/ the Lexington comments. You don’t have a clue. BTW, Louisville will not beat UK, just as they have not anytime in recent history. By the way, I’m not embarrassing myself & I do live here in ATL. GO CATS!