Why So Serious? UK’s New Coach Wants To Reach The Next Level

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As he prepares to lead his first team into its first game, new coach Joker Phillips is thinking big picture.  Rich Brooks built UK into a program that can reach and win bowl games on a regular basis.   (Truth be told, the fact that there are now 200 bowl games also helped.)  Phillips has his eyes set on a bigger prize than a December bowl trip. 

Like an SEC East title.

“Why not?” Phillips said when asked about reaching Atlanta.  “Why not Kentucky?  We’ve beaten the traditional powers like Auburn, Georgia and LSU.  The thing we’ve got to do is put together seasons where we do it on a consistent basis.  Then there’s the streaks.  If you can break a couple of the streaks (Florida, Tennessee) in the same season, then you’ve got a chance.  You’re in the hunt.”

Actually, UK could have finished in a second place tie in the SEC East had it knocked off Tennessee last year.  The Wildcats could have grabbed second place all by their lonesome in 2006… had they just beaten the Vols.

If you can finish second, you can — under the right circumstances — finish first.

So Phillips is correct to ask “Why not Kentucky?”  Don’t laugh.  Remember, there was a time when Florida was one of the SEC’s weak sisters.  Things change.


Here’s how UK can actually become a title contender in the East:

1.  End Tennessee’s dominance.  The Vols haven’t lost to the Cats since 1984.  Even as the Vols stumbled to three 6+ loss seasons in the last five years, they maintained their ownership of UK.  With UT now in a full-blown rebuilding mode, Phillips is taking over at the right time.  There is no reason for UT to be an automatic loss on Kentucky’s schedule over the next couple of years.

2.  Recruit Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.  Hard.  No, Kentucky doesn’t have much in-state talent.  Sorry, Cat fans, it’s a fact.  And signing guys who “love the blue” just hasn’t gotten the job done.  I’ll take a 5-star player from out of state and put him up against your 2-star “bleeds blue” guy any day of the week.  Heart counts, but arms, legs, strength and speed count more.  That’s why Phillips needs to take his new assistants — most were hired for their recruiting backgrounds — and establish a beachhead in several talent-rich states that are only a short drive from Lexington.  If the Cats can put down roots in the states mentioned above, they’ll have a pretty darn good recruiting base.

3.  Look to John Calipari.  Phillips needs to tie himself to the hip of John Calipari.  (He’ll have to make room for an NCAA investigator or two, too, but them’s the breaks.)  Calipari has made UK basketball the best show in the country.  North Carolina and Duke are traditional powers.  Ditto UCLA and Kansas.  But if you ask a high schooler today which program is the “hottest,” UK would be the quick answer.  Phillips needs to follow and mimic Calipari.  Line-up big games at neutral sites.  Don’t be afraid to lose a game to gain some eyeballs and some respect.  Play in the morning, play at night.  Play whenever and wherever ESPN asks.

4.  Look to Bruce Pearl.  Calipari and Pearl aren’t fans of one another, possibly because they are both showmen/promoters.  While Calipari has made a big fish a national draw, Pearl has done the same with a traditional guppy.  Football is king in Tennessee.  But Pearl used his enthusiasm to draw attention to Vol basketball.  I’m not suggesting Phillips paint a K on his chest at a Kentucky roundball game, but the Wildcat program needs a cheerleader.  The goal should be to land on ESPN (and in front of recruits’ and pollsters’ eyes whenever possible).  So instead of a K, let’s say Phillips decides to wear a pair of those John Daly pants on the sideline.  Or a bright blue sportcoat (remember when coaches actually dressed nattily on gameday)?  Publicity is publicity.  Calipari used that mantra to his advantage at a basketball school.  Pearl used it to his advantage in turning a football school into a basketball school.


Those things are all easier said than done, of course.  Does Phillips have a carnival barker’s personality?  Is his staff strong enough to actually recruit against the Ohio States, Penn States and Virginia Techs of the world?  Time will tell.

But if you think Kentucky is incapable of ever winning in football, ask yourself this question:  If UK had hired Nick Saban or Urban Meyer would you view the Cats’ future differently?

It will take the right coach with the right approach to make UK into an SEC East contender.  But it can be done.