University of Maryland Athletics

Joe “Joker” Phillips, a 30-year veteran of the collegiate and NFL ranks, joined the University of Maryland football staff in 2019 as Co-Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach.

Phillips, a former head coach at the University of Kentucky, has extensive experience coaching receivers, with stops at Cincinnati, Minnesota, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Florida and in the NFL.

In his first season as Co-Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach, Phillips coached All-Big Ten wide receiver Dontay Demus Jr., who tallied 41 receptions for 625 yards and six touchdowns in his sophomore campaign, the first Maryland sophomore to tally six receiving touchdowns since DJ Moore in 2016. Phillips also helped the Maryland offense score 142 points in the first two games of the season (79 - Howard, 63 - #21 Syracuse), the most by a Big Ten team since 1936 (Ohio State, 1996) and the third most by any FBS team over that span.

After spending the 2016 season as an offensive quality control coach at Ohio State, Phillips began his second stint at Cincinnati in 2017. He also coached the Bearcats wide receivers in 1997 and the Cincy defensive backs in 1998.

Just two years after joining the Cincinnati staff for the second time, Phillips helped the Bearcats to an 11-2 record and a win over Virginia Tech in the 2018 Military Bowl. Under Philips’ tutelage, wide receiver Kahlil Lewis ranked seventh in the American Athletic by averaging 4.3 receptions per game for 782 yards and nine touchdowns.

Phillips spent the 2015 season as the wide receiver’s 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 receiver’s coach and recruiting coordinator at Florida in 2013 following three seasons (2010-12) as the head coach at Kentucky. 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 Minnesota (1999-2000), Notre Dame (2001) and South Carolina (2002).

At Cincinnati in 1997, Phillips coached standout wide receiver Chad Plummer, who helped lead the Bearcats to their 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, Phillips 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.