Joker Phillips facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Joker Phillips

Phillips visits the Kentucky Army National Guard in 2010.
Current position
Title	Assistant head coach Wide receivers coach
Team	NC State
Conference	ACC
Biographical details
Born	(1963-05-12) May 12, 1963 (age 62) Franklin, Kentucky, U.S.
Playing career
1981–1984	Kentucky
1985	Washington Redskins
1986	Toronto Argonauts
1987	Washington Redskins
Position(s)	Wide receiver
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1988–1989	Kentucky (GA)
1990	Kentucky (assistant RC)
1991–1996	Kentucky (WR)
1997	Cincinnati (WR)
1998	Cincinnati (DB)
1999–2000	Minnesota (WR)
2001	Notre Dame (WR)
2002	South Carolina (WR)
2003	Kentucky (RC/WR)
2004	Kentucky (RC/PGC/WR)
2005–2009	Kentucky (OC/WR)
2010–2012	Kentucky
2013	Florida (WR/RC)
2015	Cleveland Browns (WR)
2016	Ohio State (OQC)
2017–2018	Cincinnati (WR)
2019–2020	Maryland (co-OC/WR)
2021–present	NC State (AHC/WR)
Head coaching record
Overall	13–24
Bowls	0–1

Joe "Joker" Phillips Jr. (born May 12, 1963) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently an assistant head coach and wide receivers coach at North Carolina State University. He has held this position since the 2021 football season. Phillips also served as the head football coach at the University of Kentucky from 2010 to 2012.

Playing Football: High School to the Pros

Joker Phillips had a great high school football career. He played quarterback for two state championship teams in Kentucky. After high school, he played wide receiver at the University of Kentucky from 1981 to 1984.

During his time with the Kentucky Wildcats, Phillips caught 75 passes. He gained 935 yards and scored nine touchdowns. He was part of the 1984 Kentucky team that won the 1984 Hall of Fame Classic Bowl. When he left Kentucky, he was fifth on the school's list for most receptions.

After college, Phillips played two seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Washington Redskins. Later, he also played for the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Coaching Football: From Assistant to Head Coach

After his playing career, Phillips began coaching. He started as a graduate assistant at the University of Kentucky. In 1990, he became an assistant recruiting coordinator. The next year, he became the wide receivers coach.

In 1997, Phillips moved to the University of Cincinnati as wide receivers coach. He then coached at Minnesota, Notre Dame, and South Carolina. He even took over from Urban Meyer as wide receivers coach at Notre Dame.

Returning to Kentucky

In 2002, Phillips returned to his old school, Kentucky. He became the recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach. In 2004, he was named the offensive coordinator for the Wildcats.

Phillips helped improve Kentucky's offense. Under his guidance, quarterback André Woodson became one of the best players in the country. In 2006, Kentucky finished with an 8–5 record. They beat Clemson in the 2006 Music City Bowl.

The Wildcats won the Music City Bowl again in 2007. They defeated Florida State. This was the first time Kentucky had won two bowl games in a row in over 50 years. In 2008, they won the Liberty Bowl against East Carolina.

Becoming Head Coach

In January 2008, Phillips was chosen to be the next head coach after Rich Brooks retired. He officially became the head coach of the Wildcats on January 4, 2010. Phillips was the second African-American head football coach in the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

In 2011, Phillips led Kentucky to a big 10–7 victory over Tennessee. This win ended a 26-year losing streak against the Volunteers. It was a very important moment for the team.

However, after a tough start to the 2012 season, Kentucky's athletic director announced that Phillips would not return as coach in 2013. He coached the remaining games that year.

Coaching After Kentucky

After leaving Kentucky, Phillips joined the University of Florida in 2012. He worked as their wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator. In 2014, there was an issue related to recruiting rules, and Phillips later resigned from his position.

In 2015, Phillips was hired by the Cleveland Browns as their wide receivers coach. He stayed for one season. In 2016, he joined Ohio State as a Quality Control Assistant. He then returned to the University of Cincinnati in 2017, coaching wide receivers until 2018.

Personal Life

Joe Phillips Jr. got his nickname "Joker" from his grandfather. This helped tell him apart from his father, who was also named Joe. He was married to Leslie Stamatis from 1999 to 2017.

Head Coaching Record