TicketsJoe “Joker” Phillips, a nearly 30-year veteran of the collegiate and NFL ranks, joined the University of Cincinnati football staff in 2017 as wide receivers coach.
Phillips has extensive experience coaching receivers, with stops at Kentucky, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Florida and in the NFL.
He spent the 2016 season as an offensive quality control coach at Ohio State. This is Phillips’ second stint on UC’s campus after spending the 1997 season coaching the Bearcats wide receivers and 1998 mentoring the defensive backs.
Phillips spent the 2015 season as the wide receivers coach for the Cleveland Browns and has developed 11 wide receivers into NFL draft picks, including Troy Williamson (first round), Randall Cobb (second round), Steve Johnson (seventh round) and David Givens (seventh round).
He served as the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at Florida in 2013 following three seasons (2010-12) as the head coach at Kentucky. He was 13-24 leading his alma mater and was Kentucky's first African-American head football coach and only the second in the history of the Southeastern Conference when he was hired in 2010. He became the first coach in Kentucky history to lead the team to a bowl game in his first season (BBVA Compass Bowl), and he won more games than any first-year UK coach since Blanton Collier in 1954.
A Kentucky grad, Phillips spent 19 years coaching at the school between two stints (1989-98 and 2003-12). He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at UK in 1988 and spent 13 seasons coaching the school’s wide receivers, including adding offensive coordinator and head coach of the offense responsibilities. As offensive coordinator in 2007, he guided Kentucky’s offense to a school record 475 points. That season he also helped the Wildcats defeat No. 1 LSU, 43-37.
Phillips has also had stints at Cincinnati (1997-98), Minnesota (1999-2000), Notre Dame (2001) and South Carolina (2002).
In 1997, Phillips coached standout wide receiver Chad Plummer, who helped lead Cincinnati to its first bowl win since 1951 in the 1997 Humanitarian Bowl. Plummer was later selected by the Denver Broncos in the sixth round of the 1999 NFL Draft.
At Minnesota, he guided All-Big Ten wide receiver Ron Johnson, who went on to play for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens. In his year at Notre Dame, Phillips placed two wideouts in the NFL, Javin Hunter and David Givens.
Phillips returned to UK from South Carolina, where he coached the wide receivers under head coach Lou Holtz in 2002. Gamecocks newcomer Troy Williamson earned SEC All-Freshman honors that year and went on to become the No. 7 pick in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft.
In addition to his coaching, Phillips also is known as a highly effective recruiter. He has been identified as one of the nation's top recruiters by SI.com and Rivals.com.
As a wide receiver at Kentucky, Phillips finished his career fifth on the school receiving list with 75 receptions for 935 yards and nine touchdowns. He played two seasons in the NFL with Washington (1985 and 1987) and spent one year (1986) with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. He earned his bachelor’s degree in advertising from UK in 1986.
Phillips participated in football, basketball and track at Franklin-Simpson High School. He was an all-state selection in football, playing quarterback and cornerback, and was an all-region selection in basketball.
Born Joe Phillips Jr., the native of Franklin, Kentucky, was nicknamed Joker as a baby by his grandfather to help distinguish Joker from his father, Joe Sr.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Born: May 12, 1963
Hometown: Franklin, Kentucky
Education: Kentucky (1986, B.S.)
Year in Coaching: 29th
PLAYING CAREER
1985: Washington Redskins (Wide Receiver)
1986: Toronto Argonauts (Wide Receiver)
1987: Washington Redskins (Wide Receiver)
COACHING CAREER
YEAR: SCHOOL - POSITION
1988-89: Kentucky - Graduate Assistant
1990: Kentucky - Assistant Recruiting Coordinator
1991-96: Kentucky - Wide Receivers
1997: Cincinnati - Wide Receivers
1998: Cincinnati - Defensive Backs
1999-2000: Minnesota - Wide Receivers
2001: Notre Dame - Wide Receivers
2002: South Carolina - Wide Receivers
2003-04: Kentucky - Wide Receivers/Recruiting Coordinator
2005-08: Kentucky - Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers
2009: Kentucky - Head Coach of the Offense/Wide Receivers
2010-12: Kentucky - Head Coach
2013: Florida - Wide Receivers/Recruiting Coordinator
2015: Cleveland Browns - Wide Receivers
2016: Ohio State - Offensive Quality Control
2017-: Cincinnati - Wide Receivers
BOWLS COACHED IN
YEAR: SCHOOL - BOWL
1993: Kentucky - Peach
1997: Cincinnati - Humanitarian
1999: Minnesota - Sun
2000: Minnesota - MicronPC.com
2006: Kentucky - Music City
2007: Kentucky - Music City
2008: Kentucky - Liberty
2009: Kentucky - Music City
2010: Kentucky - BBVA Compass
2016: Ohio State - Fiesta (CFP Semifinal)
BOWLS PLAYED IN IN
YEAR: SCHOOL - BOWL
1983: Kentucky - Hall of Fame
1984: Kentucky - Hall of Fame