Urban Meyer has hired former Kentucky head coach Joker Phillips as a quality control assistant, an Ohio State spokesman confirmed Wednesday night. Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio first reported the news.
Phillips coached the Wildcats, his alma mater, from 2010 to 2012. Kentucky fired him after a winless SEC run and he went on to become Will Muschamp's wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at Florida. He spent 2015 with the Cleveland Browns as wide receivers coach under Mike Pettine, whom the Browns fired earlier this year.
The Franklin, Ky., native played wide receiver for the Wildcats before eventually working his way to the NFL with the Washington Redskins. His coaching career includes stints with Cincinnati, Minnesota, Notre Dame, and South Carolina as an assistant coach, primarily working with wide receivers.
Phillips' 247 all-time commits profile is lengthy and littered with blue chip prospects, so it's easy to see why Meyer would target him. A source confirmed to Eleven Warriors that Phillips was on the road scouting for Ohio State as early as late May.
Ohio State also confirmed the hiring of former Ohio University head coach Brian Knorr in a support role. Knorr, was most recently with Indiana, where he coached defensive ends and outside linebackers. His previous stops as an assistant include Air Force and Wake Forest.
