John Clay: Joker puts focus on rebuilding offense

JohnClay / Herald-Leader Sports Columnist

It’s the same old Joker.

Never mind that he’s now the chosen one, the designated successor to Rich Brooks.

Never mind that it has been decided and announced for all the world to hear that he is the man who will assume the head coach’s chair at Kentucky. It will happen at the unspecified time when Brooks, 67, decides to pack up and spend more time on the Oregon waterways.

That’s sometime off in the distance.

”I’m offensive coordinator,“ said Phillips after a recent UK practice. ”My job is to make sure the offense knows what it’s doing, make sure it’s motivated and ready to play when we play Louisville.“

No easy job, that. Not this year. Not with quarterback Andre Woodson, running back Rafael Little, wide receivers Keenan Burton and Steve Johnson and tight end Jacob Tamme, staples in the Kentucky offense the past three or four years, now in NFL camps trying to earn a professional roster spot.

Last year, UK averaged 36.5 points a game, its most since 1999. It averaged 443.4 yards a game, most since 2000, and won its second straight Music City Bowl.

So while it was Phillips’ work as offensive boss over the last three seasons that earned him the designated promotion, right now the time has come for the former Franklin-Simpson star to rebuild his offense.

”I’ve had to coach my tail off this camp,“ he said, grinning.

He will have a new quarterback in Mike Hartline or Will Fidler. He will have a new featured running back, picking from a foursome of Moncell Allen, Tony Dixon, Derrick Locke and Alfonso Smith. He will have a new tight end in probably T.C. Drake or Ross Bogue. And aside from holdover Dicky Lyons, Jr., he will have many new faces in his wide receiver rotation.

”The last couple of years, you really coached up one or two guys,“ Phillips said. ”Now, I’ve got to watch and coach up the first group. I’ve got a lot of young guys, first-year guys and first-year (starters) who’ve been on offense. Same with the second group, and even the third group. Lot of coaching going on, especially at the wide receiver position.“

But not all that coaching is being done by Phillips.

”The guy I’m seeing that the most from is Dicky Lyons,“ said Phillips. ”He’s motivated by seeing Keenan and Stevie, what happened to them in the off-season.“

Meaning: Drafted. Burton was taken in the fourth round by the St. Louis Rams, as was Tamme by the Indianapolis Colts. Johnson was taken in the seventh round by the Buffalo Bills, a round after Woodson went to the New York Giants.

”It helps when guys get drafted,“ Phillips said.

Success helps all around. It’s not just the open position that gets passed down. It’s work ethic, leadership, example. Backups see what the starters are doing, what they did to succeed. Then they follow.

It’s the same with Phillips. He is too focused on his young unit to admit that he also is keeping an eye on what Brooks is doing as the head coach. Not only what he is doing, but how he does it. Decisions. Organization. Leadership.

And yet, at the same time, still being the same old Joker.

”He’s always been the same guy to me,“ Lyons said. ”You might think he’d be a little more of a business guy now, but he’s still easy-going with the guys. He’s a real personable guy, wants to talk to you, see how you’re doing. I think he’s going to be a great head coach.“

Right now, though, what’s called for is another year being a great offensive coordinator.

Reach John Clay at (859) 231-3226, (800) 950-6397, Ext. 3226, or jclay@herald-leader.com. Read his blog at Kentucky.com.