NC State football’s newest staff member, wide receivers coach Joker Phillips, met with the media on Feb. 2 for an introductory press conference. Phillips talked about what brought him to Raleigh, the culture at NC State and his connections to the current staff.
The coaching profession is a small world, so when NC State’s receivers coach position opened up, running backs coach Kurt Roper gave Phillips a call. Phillips had worked with Roper three times before and also had a short stint with offensive coordinator Tim Beck while Phillips was an analyst at Ohio State.
Less than a week after Roper contacted Phillips, he was in Raleigh for an interview. The next day, Phillips accepted head coach Dave Doeren’s job offer.
“It’s been a quick, good thing for me,” Phillips said. “Personally, I think this was the thing that needed to happen for me. Again, I’m with two really good friends of mine in Tim Beck and Kurt Roper, and just hearing from them what was going on here, I think that was important for me.”
Doeren emphasized having a healthy team culture with his 2020 hires, and that’s paid dividends both on and off the field. According to Phillips, when he was talking with Beck and Roper about the team, they said the roster was full of high-character players with good talent.
NC State has also rebranded itself on offense via a willingness to give coaches fresh starts. Beck, for example, came to Raleigh after spending five years under offensive-minded head coaches at Ohio State and Texas. Phillips does the same after two years under Mike Locksley. Doeren’s a defensive guy, and his disposition and coaching style attracted Phillips to make the move to Raleigh.
“It’s just him being himself, and that’s what you want in a head coach,” Phillips said. “Somebody that’s not trying to be Knute Rockne. Coach Doeren is himself; he allows his coaches to coach — he’s not a micromanager. That’s the thing that attracted me. He has trust in the coaches he brings into the building. That’s a real helpful thing for a coach coming in.”
In his career, Phillips has served at all levels of coaching, from his work as a position coach to serving as offensive coordinator, and eventually head coach, at Kentucky. His hire continues a pattern Doeren started with bringing Ted Roof and Ruffin McNeil on board: having former head coaches on staff. Doeren said being able to use a former head coach as a sounding board can be very valuable, and it’s clear he values getting different perspectives from his coaches.
“Coach Doeren, he said, ‘Hey, if you see anything don’t be afraid to speak up,’” Phillips said. “That’s the same philosophy that coach Beck has also. It’s the same philosophy I had in those chairs also. Having that freedom definitely helps, especially when you hear it from the horse’s mouth.”
Former receivers coach George McDonald left the cupboards overflowing for Phillips’ arrival. NC State returns all three starting receivers and has multiple young blue-chip players, along with some overlooked speedsters that provide depth.
Phillips and McDonald actually ran into each other as the former was returning from his interview and the latter was heading to Illinois, and Phillips said, “I could hear and feel the excitement in his voice” as they talked about McDonald’s former players.
It will take time for Phillips to get to know his players, but the 30-year veteran knows what he wants out of his group. Phillips said the culture of his room will revolve around competition as he looks to continue the tradition NC State has built at wide receiver.
“The kids are different [at receiver]; some people call it cocky, the kids now call it swag, I call it confidence,” Phillips said. “I want guys — we call it a C.A.T.C.H. We want confident guys, guys that are self-confident. Want guys that are accountable, guys that are tough, guys that know how to communicate and guys that are healthy. Mentally, physically and emotionally healthy… Those are the things that have made me have success in this industry in coaching wide receivers.”
