Since accepting the job as Florida’s wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator on Dec. 3, Joker Phillips has garnered attention for utilizing Photoshop to reach out to high school prospects.
Gators offensive coordinator Brent Pease said Phillips has also become an integral part in the much-needed development of UF’s passing attack.
“He’s challenged our kids at the wide receiver position,” Pease said Wednesday. “You bring a guy that has that much experience in, and you look at his reputation, and he gives you that authority figure that knows what’s going on.”
Florida’s feeble passing game was a blemish in an otherwise strong season that saw the Gators go 11-2 and earn a berth in the Sugar Bowl against Louisville.
The Gators finished last in the Southeastern Conference in passing yardage, averaging 146.3 yards per game. Kentucky and Auburn — two teams that combined to go 0-16 in the SEC last season — each passed for more yards in 2012.
Quinton Dunbar, who led the Gators with four receiving touchdowns last season and projects to be one of quarterback Jeff Driskel’s biggest targets in 2013, said a lack of continuity has been a major issue for Florida’s offense.
“Since I’ve been here, I’ve done had three different [offensive] coordinators, so we never really got a grasp of the offense,” Dunbar said at UF media day. “Coming in their first year, they don’t want to throw a boatload at you, so you don’t really get the whole playbook.
“Coming into the second year, I feel like we’re going to open it up.”
Phillips offers a level of experience that was missing at the receivers coach position last season, which should only make Pease’s job easier.
Prior to serving as head coach of Kentucky from 2010 to 2012, Phillips spent time as wide receivers coach at Cincinnati (1997), Minnesota (1999-2000), Notre Dame (2001), South Carolina (2002) and Kentucky (2003-2009).
Bush Hamdan, a former graduate assistant, was thrust into the open position on an interim basis when Aubrey Hill resigned last August. With Phillips on staff, Pease now has the flexibility to spend more time with other position groups.
“At times, he’ll take some things over,” Pease said of Phillip’s duties in practice. “I’ll either stay with the quarterbacks or with the run game when they’re doing one-on-one because he knows how to manage the drills.”
The infusion of several talented freshman receivers could also provide an immediate boost to the offense. Demarcus Robinson, Ahmad Fulwood and Alvin Bailey each project to factor into the passing game.
Latroy Pittman and Raphael Andrades, who had modest results as true freshmen last season, also return. As does Solomon Patton, who suffered a broken arm in Florida’s 17-9 loss to Georgia on Oct. 29.
While Pease noted, “Our game is we’re going to wear them down up front,” he admitted stretching the field vertically is an element that must improve.
As Florida prepares for its season opener against Toledo on Aug. 31, Pease believes he sees a difference in the team’s group of receivers, a product of Phillips’ hard work.
“He’s done a good job of establishing his standards in the room,” Pease said, “and what he expects from them and how they approach practice each day.”
Contact Phil Heilman at pheilman@alligator.org.
Joker Phillips watches the scoreboard during a Kentucky game on Sept. 17, 2011, in Lexington, Ky. Phillips is starting his first season at UF.
