By LARRY VAUGHT
His job status has to be in jeopardy, but give Kentucky coach Joker Phillips credit for keeping his sense of humor.
At Monday’s weekly press conference, he was asked how he dealt with speculation that the Joker Phillips’ era at Kentucky is over after three years because of his team’s 1-8 record after Saturday’s loss at Missouri.
“I was coming over here today and got in car and my seat was hot. I looked up and hit my seat warmer,” Phillips laughed and said.
What about any talks with UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart about his future?
“I was going to tell you Mitch and I talked … we talked about an extension. I was just kidding,” Phillips grinned and said. “No, it hasn’t changed. We haven’t talked. Just been small talk. Talking like friends do weekly.”
So no conversation about his future?
“No, we have not and it has been his policy to wait until the end of the year,” Phillips said
He says the speculation about his future has not changed the way UK recruits.
“I have had to recuit this way most of my career,” Phillips said. “I don’t think about the media or what you guys write or think. I think about what recruits are thinking. We sell what we do and have had success doing that.”
Phillips noted that while he worries about all his players, he wants none of them worrying about his future.
“They are 22 year olds. They need to have fun, go to school and play ball. That’s what they are here for. I never bring it up,” Phillips said.
Phillips said he often has friends and/or ex-UK players come to practice and talk about how “upbeat and energetic” the players are.
“I am so proud of how the veterans have handled this also,” Phillips said. “They have been good role models to these younger kids. The younger players came here with hopes of playing and they are getting to and it has really helped the way they prepare. These young kids are coming to practice every day ready to work.”
Phillips said he plans to start Jalen Whitlow at quarterback this week against Vanderbilt but will also have a “plan” to get freshman Patrick Towles in the game again. He did that after Whitlow led two successful drives to start the game at Missouri but Towles could not generate a first down in two series and UK’s offense was stagnant the rest of the game.
After the Missouri game, offensive coordinator Randy Sanders suggested he had second thoughts about sticking to the pregame plan. Phillips said he had no second thoughts.
So you and Sanders disagree?
“We don’t disagree. We both agree he (Towles) would go in the third series,” Phillips said. “Again, looking back probably shouldn’t (have changed quarterbacks) because it didn’t work out and get questions for you guys.”
18 Responses to Joker Phillips again says he has had no conversations with Mitch Barnhart about his future
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Maybe Barnhart hasn’t said anything and maybe won’t until after the season-which is a major mistake in my opinion-but the fans have spoken loud and clear after the debacle at Mo.
It’s good to see he can laugh about this whole situation…all the way to the bank.
Like Joker as a person or not has nothing to do with his job. Clearly UK football needs a new direction because what we are witnessing now is not getting the job done. When you need moral victories as UK did against Georgia last week to make you feel good , something is clearly not right. And lets be honest here , Georgia was looking to Florida without question , and Uk was the” little engine that could” that just happened to be in between that game. And quite frankly if i was the players on Georgia i would not take UK seriously either. Do i have the clear cut answer to who it should be ? No i do not, i have no idea on what UK can spend, but i will say this . UK better make some sort of a splash with there next pick of a coach because the fan base is clearly tired of experiments , and if the turnstiles are turning less now, go ahead and hire another no namer of a coach and watch what happens. The same as now but probably worse because i can see people just not wanting to come due to the fact that UK does not take hiring a fully competent coach seriously. The ball is squarely in the court of Uk’s administration and i hope they make a informed decision.
I agree Grant. It’s about the money. Can UK make more game revenue with or without Joker. But getting a coach that can wear the shoes may be problematic due to Barnhart’s broken promises to Brooks. Head coaches pay attention to stuff like that, especially the good ones.
Joker sounds like someone who knows he’s finished as our HC.
First, Grant, with all due respect, our players do not deserve for their performance against Georgia to be “excused away” with the comment that Georgia had simply not been taking UK “seriously.” Our guys, totally outmanned, had come to Commonwealth ready to play and had played their hearts out, period!!!
On the other hand, unfortunately, after the opening two impressive drives at Missouri (the fumble withstanding), our Wildcats did not show that same heart. In this corner it’s certainly hope that they will show heart again Saturday in Commonwealth, even though they will have obviously been bowl-ineligible for two weeks now, something not the case when they had faced the Georgia Bulldogs. Anyway, I know I’ll be there pulling for them with all my heart, still again (and that’s for the staff, too, as long as they are my team’s coaching staff!). By the way, Junior linebacker and team leader Avery Williamson has said that they must now win the remaining three games, and I’m surely hoping devoted fans, regardless of their feelings about Joker and his staff, are still there to show their support OUR Wildcats!
In regard to Barnhart’s not having spoken with Joker about the future, I had tried to respond on the other thread, Larry, and the post had somehow not appeared (as I had probably pushed the wrong button). Anyway, I had said there that I suspect Mitch Barnhart would likely evaluate Coach Phillips at the end of the season, which has always been his policy. Ironically, Joker basically says the same here. More importantly, though, I had tried to post there as follows, at least approximately so:
“In the event there is a coaching vacancy, just maybe a principled athletics director’s sticking to his principles might be appealing to some coaching candidates. Just a thought for you guys to consider.”
Speaking of priniciples, I remember Coach Phillips’ responding to public criticism last summer by asking the fans to SUPPORT THESE PLAYERS, regardless of how they feel about him. Joker made the same plea at our women’s clinic. I noticed that there was a refreshing lack of concern for himself, but, instead, for his players. No, it doesn’t change our record. Yet, perhaps Joker’s selfless attitude — his putting his players first and caring about them, rather than about him himself — just might deserve a little more respect from some within the fanbase. Actually, back when Joker Phillips chose to sit starting quarterback Mike Hartline out for the bowl game against Pitt in Birmingham, greatly reducing his chances to get a win, I had thought about Joker’s selflessness. Winning the game would have made Joker the first coach since Blanton Collier to have a winning record in his first season. Instead, Joker did what he had thought was best for Mike Hartline as a young man — and, in turn, for Hartline’s teammates to see that it was their lives after football that mattered the very most to their head coach. Anyway, this fan noticed and remembered that personal sacrifice by Joker, and the same seflless attitude is revealed in his words here. In my humble opinion, such makes some of the bashing and name-calling that sometimes appears on message boards all the more upsetting. Regardless of the record or how anyone feels about his coaching one way or the other, Joker Phillips is a class act and deserves much respect from fans in that regard, period. Most of all, though, again, Barnhart’s principled way of handling the situation just might end up being advantageous if candidates do, indeed, consider a head coaching vacancy within his football program.
They should save face and announce now. Not waiting until the end of the season. Maybe get a few more rear ends in seats this way too. Everyone knows the change is coming. Let the new coach get a head start on recruiting
I am really torn about Joker. I really wanted him to succeed. His face as a part of the UK football program is good for UK. But, can UK afford to pay him darn near $2 Million a year and lose an additional $10 or so Million in game revenue to keep him where he is? Unless they teach business differently at UK, the answer is simply no. The second question is, can UK afford to give him another year to bring the fans back? IMO I think we are well past that. Joker is not stupid. He has to have considered these questions. If he is not done, he should be and I think he knows it.
I already know what Joker’s going to say. “We’re better than we are showing.” He’s said it, Randy Sanders has said it. Rick Minter has said it. Question is, will Mitch Barnhart believe it. Those guys sure seem to.
I’m not torn about Joker Phillips. He has stunk it up as a Head Coach in the SEC. This job was over his head and its been proven for the last three years. Harsh yes, but time to move on. If he wants his young players to have fun, then move on Joker to greener pastures and let his players start winning in the SEC. Let them stop being the laughingstock in the SEC. Let the fans stop being the laughingstock in the SEC.
The basketball team can’t pull the football team along anymore by its bootstraps. That feeble excuse never should have been trotted out to begin with.
I will not apologize for what i said” anonymous”
‘ Georgia was looking ahead , make no mistake. All of the sudden UK can compete with a team that beat an undefeated team in the sec, PLEASE! No ifs ands or buts about it. I stand by it.
Grant,you are absolutely correct .Georgia only played as hard as they had to,and truth be known were probably experimenting with plays and personnel on both sides of the ball.They had over 300 yards of passing offens in that game and that should tell us something about their schemes.
Sad to say,UK is little more than practice fodder for most of the SEC teams they play.It shows in the statistics of the games week after week.
There is definitely something wrong with this team.Some of it has to do with coaches and some of it has to do with the players,such as player injuries,attitudes,and ability.The thing that bothers me,there are teams out there that have the same talent level and sometimes less than UK and they are winning,and i keep asking myself ,why can’t UK play as spirited as these teams?
Well said John, and to add another thing –”anonymous” says uk was outmanned, YES they are every week when it comes to sec opponents so there is no revelation there. I pose this question to anonymous, How come uk was not ready to As you say” play there hearts out “against the likes of Louisville, Western KY. Florida, South Carolina, Miss St. Arkansas, and Missouri? I can answer that UK was looked over by Georgia , who was looking to Florida and Uk was trying there best against an opponent who could care less about them.
Grant, I had not realized my name had not been attached to the post. Anyway, I had neither requested nor expected an apology from you. I had simply said that “with all due respect” I don’t think our players deserve their performance to be “excused away” by Georgia’s supposedly not “taking us seriously.” If you will read Larry’s piece about that performance, I think you will see the same kind of sentiment about how our guys had performed THAT DAY. Actually, I had also listened to him on the Sunday morning show after that game. Larry had said then that both the players and the coaches deserved “a pat on the back” for their performance THAT DAY.
I had been there, and those guys had “played their hearts out” — and I will continue to take up for those players who give their blood, sweat, and tears. Unfortunately, they did not show that heart against Missouri. At least they had not seen focused and had not responded to adversity with heart. As I had posted, I’m hoping to see that heart again against Vanderbilt. Otherwise, we won’t have a chance in the game, and, yes, I’m still rooting for my Wildcats.
In regard to earlier performances this season, I would not call it a lack of heart. Against both Louisville and WKU turnovers were costly, and, more importantly, with seven or eight new starters on defense and a complicated scheme, we had appeared almost defenseless. I saw defensive improvement in other games (although the offense suffered tremendously without Maxwell Smith), but the Arkansas game — perhaps partly because of an entire secondary of true freshmen due to injuries — was an obviously dismal performance, period.
Regardless, those have NOTHING to do with the topic of our performance against Georgia. Again, no apology had been expected, but if we’re going to “trash” other performances of our players, we surely need to give credit when credit is due, rather than putting them down, still again. No personal offense whatsover had been intended. I do feel our players had been personally disrespected in an indirect way, though. Again, go back and read Larry’s piece on the game.
In regard to “outmanned,” if you cannot see how our team had largely been going up against a team that has been having top five recruiting classes essentially every single season while our classes have been ranked mostly low — plus our being forced, by the way of injuries, to play numerous true and redshirt freshmen — I don’t know what to say. Besides playing a true freshman at quarterback and in most of the secondary, we were playing third- and fourth-string running backs, as we have most of the season. Again my post had been intended only to give these young men credit for battling so, a battle I witnessed in person. They deserve credit for that performance that day, even in defeat. Just my sincere, humble opinion on the matter.
Maybe Mitch is waiting for Tenn, Auburn or Ark to make a run at Joker. That way Joker could leave on his own and there would be no buyout. But lets not hold our breath.
I’m all for Mike Leach or David Cutcliffe. Maybe even the coach at Highlands. Oh, yeah coming to UK would be a demotion for him.
Seriously, this is the worst the program has been since maybe Jerry Claiborne’s first year and I don’t think Joker is going to turn things around like Coach did.
I agree that Mitch needs to make an announcement soon.
Tana , Ok give them credit, for the effort. Uk was giving a 100% What was Georgia giving in terms of effort? 70 to 80 % in my book is what Georgia was putting out , and that made UK’s efforts much more noticable. Georgia just got smacked around by South Carolina, i don’t feel like they were trying to get there season back on track by beating UK . Florida was looming and the bulldogs knew it. So when you have a team capable of putting out an “A” game and they pitch a “c+” or a “b-” performance i think naturally the other team looks better and in this case UK was the beneficiary. A fully concentrated bulldog team would have whipped the crap out of UK.
Leo was right, nice guys finish last.
Does anyone really believe that a change will not be made? I would hope that Mitch is making a list and checking it twice even tonight, it has to be Job 1 on his to-do list.
My only wish is that we bring in someone who talks in terms of winning the conference and the championship game and not someone who would be content to get 6, 7 or 8 wins every now and then.
yep old cat i agree, when 6 wins is your goal i don’t want you