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Kentucky football: Worst head coach hires in program history

By Josh Yourish

Nov 12, 2011; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Joker Phillips directs his team against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first half at Vanderbilt Stadium. The Commodores beat the Wildcats 38-8. Mandatory Credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 12, 2011; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Joker Phillips directs his team against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first half at Vanderbilt Stadium. The Commodores beat the Wildcats 38-8. Mandatory Credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports /
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FAYETTEVILLE, AR – OCTOBER 13: Head Coach Joker Phillips of the Kentucky Wildcats calls his team together during a timeout during a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Razorback Stadium on October 13, 2012 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
FAYETTEVILLE, AR – OCTOBER 13: Head Coach Joker Phillips of the Kentucky Wildcats calls his team together during a timeout during a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Razorback Stadium on October 13, 2012 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

Joker Phillips played wide receiver at Kentucky from 1981-84 and in the NFL for two seasons. He then returned to Kentucky to begin his coaching career in 1988. He stayed through the nineties as an assistant before bouncing around to a few other schools as a wide receiver coach.

In 2003, he returned to his alma mater as the wide receivers coach and in 2005, he took over as offensive coordinator. Once Rich Brooks retired, Phillips took over the program and was the head coach of the Wildcats from 2010-12.

He proceeded to tear the program down and leave it in shambles by the time Mark Stoops got there in 2013.

Phillips went 6-7 in his first year, but the worst was yet to come. He then went 5-7 and 2-10 on his way out the door.

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