Joker Phillips Named UK Head Football Coach
2010 UK Coaching Staff Announced
by Frank Cassidy
On January 6, 2010, Joker Phillips became the 36th head coach in the history of the University of Kentucky's football program, and the 12th UK head football coach named since World War II.
Phillips succeeds Rich Brooks, who compiled a 39-47 record in seven seasons from 2003-09. Under Brooks, UK's football program recovered from NCAA sanctions and achieved one of the more impressive turnarounds in recent Southeastern Conference football history.
Brooks ended his coaching career with a streak of four-straight winning seasons.
Brooks will be remembered for coaching UK's first bowl victory since 1984.
In all, Brooks posted a 3-1 record in bowls and became the only UK coach to win three-straight bowl games.
Phillips takes over UK's head coaching position after serving
four seasons as the Wildcats' offensive coordinator under Brooks. On January 18, 2008, UK Athletics Director announced that Phillips had been named "head coach in waiting" and designated as UK's next head football coach, contingent on Brooks' future retirement at the veteran coach's discretion. Brooks indicated his retirement was likely following UK's loss to Clemson in the Music City Bowl, then made a formal announcement on January 4.
Phillips is a native of Franklin, KY, and a former all-state player and multi-sports star at Franklin-Simpson High School. Joker played as a wide receiver at UK in 1981-84 under former Wildcat coach Jerry Claiborne.
He became an all-SEC player and lead the Wildcats to victory in the 1984 Hall of Fame Bowl. He was known for his physical and aggressive play, traits that he continues to instill in his players. At the time of his graduation, Joker ranked fifth on UK's all-time list of receivers with 75 career receptions for 935 yards and 9 touchdowns. Following his collegiate career, Joker played three seasons of professional football with the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (1985, 1987) and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (1986).
Joker began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at UK in 1988-89. In 1990 he was promoted to assistant recruiting coordinator.
In 1991-96 he served as UK's wide receivers coach.
After serving as an assistant coach at Cincinnati (1997-98), Minnesota (1999-2000), Notre Dame (2001), and South Carolina (2002), Joker returned to Lexington as UK's wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator in 2003 under Brooks. While subsequently being promoted to offensive coordinator, "coach in waiting", and "head coach of the offense", Joker has continued to coach UK's wide receivers. He is undoubtedly the most successful wide receivers coach in UK history, having developed and coached star Wildcat receivers Neal Clark, Kio Sanford, Craig Yeast, Derek Abney, Keenan Burton, Steve Johnson, and Dickie Lyons, Jr. His 2007 offensive unit was the most prolific and successful in UK football history.
Joker has retained the nucleus of Brooks' coaching staff.
Offensive coordinator Randy Sanders, Defensive Coordinator Steve Brown, Special Teams Coordinator Steve Ortmayer, Recruiting Coordinator/linebackers coach Chuck Smith, defensive backs coach Chris Thurmond, running backs coach Larry Brinson, and graduate assistant Matt McCutchan will remain at UK and provide important continuity on Joker's staff.
On January 14, Joker named Tommy Cook as a graduate assistant coach. Cook was a UK wide receiver from 2000-05. In addition to being an effective Wildcat pass receiver, Cook was known as a devastating blocker, an aggressive special teams player, and a team leader inside UK's locker room.
He was named to ESPN's "All May-Day team", exemplifying extraordinary determination and toughness. Cook was also named to the All-SEC Academic Honor Roll.
Cook holds a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from UK, and is currently working toward a master's degree in sports leadership.
On January 22, Joker announced two major additions to his coaching staff. Mike Summers was named offensive line coach, and David Turner was named defensive line coach.
Summers, a Lexington native, is married to the former Kathy Hall (daughter of legendary UK basketball coach Joe B. Hall). As a Wildcat graduate assistant in 1980-81, Summers helped recruit Joker Phillips to UK.
The two have remained close. Summers served as assistant head coach and offensive
coordinator at Oregon State in 1991-95. In 1996-99 he was assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at the University of the South. In 2000 he served as recruiting coordinator at Oklahoma State University. In 2003-06 he was offensive line coach at UL. Summers then served as offensive line coach for the NFL Atlanta Falcons in 2007. In 2008-09, he was offensive line coach and assistant head coach at the University of Arkansas. When Joker called, Summers and his wife came home.
David Turner is a native of Goldston, NC. Turner's 24 years of coaching experience includes stints at four SEC schools. Turner
served as UK's defensive ends coach in 1993-94, and formed a lasting friendship with Joker. Turner was defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Vanderbilt 2002-05. He served as defensive ends coach at the University of Alabama in 2006, and as defensive line coach at Mississippi State University in 2007-09. Turner has also coached at Davidson College, North Carolina State University, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Virginia. Turner is considered one of the better recruiters among SEC position coaches.
On January 29, Ray "Rock" Oliver was named as UK's new Director of Strength and Conditioning, and Ted Lambrinides was named assistant strength and conditioning coach.
Oliver is a native of Cincinnati. He was an defensive back at Ohio State University in 1981-82. Subsequently he became interested in the science of athletic conditioning. He has served as strength coach for the NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cincinnati Bengals as well as the NBA New Jersey Nets. He has worked previously at the University of Kansas, University of Pittsburgh, University of South Carolina, and Memphis University. He was strength coach for UK's basketball team from 1989-92. Oliver is a personal friend of UK basketball coach John Calipari.
Lambrinides is also a Cincinnati native. He has worked with Oliver for three decades. He has served as a conditioning consultant for eight NFL teams, two NBA teams, and ten NCAA Division-One athletic programs.
He has been corporate director of education for Nautilus Midwest and Hammer Strength Corporation. His specialties are exercise programs and sports nutrition.
On February 9, Joker named Tee Martin as UK's new wide receivers coach. Martin is a native of Mobile, AL. He comes to UK from the University of New Mexico, where he served as quarterbacks coach in 2009. Under Randy Sanders' tutelage, Martin was the starting quarterback for the University of Tennessee's undefeated 1998 NCAA Championship team. Martin still holds the NCAA record for consecutive pass completions in a game (23, versus South Carolina in 1998).
Martin played six professional seasons for the NFL Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL Oakland Raiders, and CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He has served as a coach and consultant for Elite Eleven Quarterback Camps and Nike Football Training Camps. He founded the Dual Threat Quarterback Camp and Academy. Martin is known as a prolific recruiter. He formerly served as quarterback coach at North Cobb High School in the Atlanta area, and has cultivated a network of recruiting contacts in the state of Georgia.
Since being promoted to head coach, Joker has stressed that success in the SEC depends on recruiting. He will enter his first season as UK's head coach in 2010 with a staff that includes four other current or former NCAA Division-One recruiting coordinators besides himself (Smith, Sanders, Turner, Thurmond) as well as a former NFL General Manager (Ortmayer). Joker's
first UK recruiting class was announced on February 3. His staff has already received verbal commitments from two promising 2011 instate prospects, Jon Davis and Darrian Miller.
Follow along with us on the Visual Boxscore College Football Forum as Joker and his staff lead UK's football program to more winning seasons and future bowl games.