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Gators WR Coach, Joker Phillips, Resigns

RunInRed

By RunInRed
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RunInRed Founding Father

RunInRed 16,992

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Interesting ...

Gators assistant Joker Phillips resigns; Chris Leak to coach receivers

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Gators head coach Will Muschamp announced the resignation of receivers coach Joker Phillips on Wednesday.

In the wake of Phillips’ departure, former Gators quarterback Chris Leak will take over as receivers coach. Leak returned to UF in May 2013 and moves from his role as an offensive graduate assistant.

Phillips joined the Gators in December 2012 after spending the previous three seasons as head coach at Kentucky. Phillips had a 13-24 record at his alma mater and was replaced by Mark Stoops after a 2-10 record in 2012.

“I’m thankful for the opportunity that the University of Florida and Will Muschamp provided to me and my family, but at this time I have decided to step down from my position on the UF coaching staff for personal reasons,’’ Phillips said.

Added Muschamp: “I appreciate Joker’s contributions to our program and wish him and his wife, Leslie, nothing but the best in the future.”

Meanwhile, Leak inherits a young group of receivers led by senior Quinton Dunbar, who finished with 40 catches for 548 yards in 2013.

Sophomore Ahmad Fulwood, who had 17 receptions as a freshman, and fellow sophomores Chris Thompson and Demarcus Robinson offer depth.

Sixth-year senior Andre Debose also returns.

“I appreciate the opportunity that Coach Muschamp has given me and my family,” said Leak. “It’s an honor to be coaching at my alma mater where I have so many fond memories both on and off the field. We have a tremendous coaching staff, a great group of players and a support system in place and I’m excited to be a part of it.”

Leak is best-known for playing quarterback at UF from 2003-06. He led the Gators to a national title his senior season and embarked on a professional career. After finishing as a player in the Arena Football League, Leak opted to return to his alma mater to pursue a coaching career.

He worked extensively with first-year offensive coordinator Kurt Roper in the spring as Roper installed a new no-huddle, up-tempo offense.

“Chris is a bright young coach,” said Muschamp. “He is one of the all-time Gator greats and being at Florida is very important to him. He has been working with Coach Roper and our offensive staff and is very familiar with our players and new system.”

http://www.gatorzone...ry.php?id=28337

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RunInRed Founding Father

RunInRed 16,992

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The "bump" caused the recruiting violation according to 247Sports Florida site ...

As you may have noticed Phillips was not on the road recruiting towards the end of the evaluation period. A minor incident that happens hundreds of times during the evaluation period – the cryptic 'bump' – caused the stir.
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RunInRed Founding Father

RunInRed 16,992

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Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN

Joker Phillips forced to resign at UF by Will Muschamp because of Phillips' possible NCAA recruiting violations source told @espn

There you have it ...

Or not ...

Correction to last tweet: Joker Phillips not forced to resign by Will Muschamp. Apologies for mistake

@McMurphyESPN

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cptau Founding Father

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Joker has been recruiting in the SEC since 2002. Until 2012 at UK where it is really hard to recruit. He spends one year at a SEC school in a state where recruiting should be much easier and he gets in trouble.

Florida is in trouble and Joker may have been trying to help turn it around for muschamp. Muschamp is probably gone in November from Florida.

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WarTiger Founding Father

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Joker has been recruiting in the SEC since 2002. Until 2012 at UK where it is really hard to recruit. He spends one year at a SEC school in a state where recruiting should be much easier and he gets in trouble.

Florida is in trouble and Joker may have been trying to help turn it around for muschamp. Muschamp is probably gone in November from Florida.

all indications are he resigned for PERSONAL reasons. It had nothing to do with any alleged violations (at least that we know of now). Tweet above was corrected and he acknowledged his error in his tweet.

But, I do agree that Muschamp could likely be gone in november. I don't expect them to be any better in 2014 than they were last year. Maybe 5-7 but that's about it.

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RunInRed Founding Father

RunInRed 16,992

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It still seems NCAA related but who knows ...

.@pat_dooley of the Gainesville Sun: I'm sure Joker Phillips moving on was a Jeremy Foley decision. They don't mess around with NCAA issues.

@openingdrive

ESPN reports Joker resigned because of possible recruiting violations. UF doesn't mess around. Aubrey Hill fired when UM violations surfaced

@pat_dooley

Despite the retracted tweet, the ESPN article citing NCAA reasons is up ...

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/11068179/joker-phillips-assistant-coach-florida-gators-resigned

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keesler Founding Father

keesler 5,934

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Breaking the bump rule is a secondary violation, right? Why should a guy lose his job either by force or voluntarily for a secondary violation? Something smells a little fishy with this news.

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RunInRed Founding Father

RunInRed 16,992

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Major violation being alleged ...

Former University of Florida wide receivers coach Joker Phillips resigned this week after the NCAA received a photo of the coach sitting in a restaurant with a high school recruit during a mandated dead period in recruiting, multiple sources told Yahoo Sports.

Three sources told Yahoo Sports the photo was turned over to the NCAA by an individual with ties to the Miami Hurricanes athletics program. Should the NCAA determine Phillips improperly recruited during a mandated dead period, it could be considered a major NCAA violation.

"The NCAA does not comment on current, pending or potential investigations," NCAA spokesperson Emily James said.

A spokesperson at the University of Miami declined to comment. A spokesperson at the University of Florida did not immediately return a message.

Phillips abruptly stepped down from his position on Wednesday – despite reportedly working at Florida’s football camp that same morning. Considered an ace recruiter, Phillips’ departure was announced via a release from the school Wednesday afternoon, citing “personal reasons” for the decision. Phillips had served one season recruiting and coaching the Gators’ wideouts, after serving as the head coach of Kentucky from 2010-12.

Two sources told Yahoo Sports that the encounter was described to the NCAA as a violation of the “bump rule” – a scenario in which a coach unexpectedly comes across a recruit and has an impermissible dialogue. Such an instance is considered a secondary violation by the NCAA. However, the violation can graduate to something more serious if the contact between a coach and recruit is premeditated or arranged – such as a dinner or social gathering – in which the coach would be deemed to be purposefully violating the recruiting dead period.

Ironically, Phillips took the position at Florida after the Gators' previous wide receivers coach, Aubrey Hill, resigned his position for "personal reasons" in the wake of Yahoo Sports reports detailing his illicit contact with recruits while he was at the University of Miami. The NCAA determined Hill had committed violations with recruits and then subsequently provided false information to investigators, and penalized him with a two-year show-cause finding. Hill has been out of college football since resigning his position at Florida.

http://sports.yahoo....-204421481.html

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cptau Founding Father

cptau 169

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If I was a coach at Florida and got let go and they agreed to pay out my contract, great. I'd have a head start in finding another coaching job, because the rest of them are all getting fired in November.

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keesler Founding Father

keesler 5,934

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Sounds like Miami has decided to get back into the boxing ring with Florida again.... Good! Florida is ripe for the picking with Muschamp leading the swamp kittens. May as well get your kicks in while their down.

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keesler Founding Father

keesler 5,934

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Okay kids! Raise your hand if you wanted Muschamp to be head coach at Auburn. :lmao:

I considered it - just like I seriously considered Petrino (horny old goat). :dead:
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AU-24 Founding Father

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Major violation being alleged ...

Former University of Florida wide receivers coach Joker Phillips resigned this week after the NCAA received a photo of the coach sitting in a restaurant with a high school recruit during a mandated dead period in recruiting, multiple sources told Yahoo Sports.

Three sources told Yahoo Sports the photo was turned over to the NCAA by an individual with ties to the Miami Hurricanes athletics program. Should the NCAA determine Phillips improperly recruited during a mandated dead period, it could be considered a major NCAA violation.

"The NCAA does not comment on current, pending or potential investigations," NCAA spokesperson Emily James said.

A spokesperson at the University of Miami declined to comment. A spokesperson at the University of Florida did not immediately return a message.

Phillips abruptly stepped down from his position on Wednesday – despite reportedly working at Florida’s football camp that same morning. Considered an ace recruiter, Phillips’ departure was announced via a release from the school Wednesday afternoon, citing “personal reasons” for the decision. Phillips had served one season recruiting and coaching the Gators’ wideouts, after serving as the head coach of Kentucky from 2010-12.

Two sources told Yahoo Sports that the encounter was described to the NCAA as a violation of the “bump rule” – a scenario in which a coach unexpectedly comes across a recruit and has an impermissible dialogue. Such an instance is considered a secondary violation by the NCAA. However, the violation can graduate to something more serious if the contact between a coach and recruit is premeditated or arranged – such as a dinner or social gathering – in which the coach would be deemed to be purposefully violating the recruiting dead period.

Ironically, Phillips took the position at Florida after the Gators' previous wide receivers coach, Aubrey Hill, resigned his position for "personal reasons" in the wake of Yahoo Sports reports detailing his illicit contact with recruits while he was at the University of Miami. The NCAA determined Hill had committed violations with recruits and then subsequently provided false information to investigators, and penalized him with a two-year show-cause finding. Hill has been out of college football since resigning his position at Florida.

http://sports.yahoo....-204421481.html

OK, so this could be a major NCAA violation. So with what has been known and printed about UAT, how do they get away with it?
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eagle76 Mentor

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OK, so this could be a major NCAA violation. So with what has been known and printed about UAT, how do they get away with it?

Mark Emmert

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Mikey Founding Father

Mikey 16,781

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Okay kids! Raise your hand if you wanted Muschamp to be head coach at Auburn. :lmao:

My fourth choice was "Anybody but Muschamp". It's written here in a couple of places if anyone cares enough to check it out.

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NoALtiger Founding Father

NoALtiger 3,875

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Okay kids! Raise your hand if you wanted Muschamp to be head coach at Auburn. :lmao:/>

Ok, I admit- I wouldn't have minded Boom coming to AU. Whew, that's been weighing on me for a while. :)
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