Dickerson fond of former coach Phillips

There are probably few people in Kentucky that wanted Joker Phillips to succeed as Kentucky football coach than Jason Dickerson.

The Anderson County resident played at Kentucky and for much of that time, Phillips served as an assistant coach under Rich Brooks. It pained Dickerson to see Kentucky's football fortunes slip so badly under Phillips' watch.

“I love Joker,” said Dickerson, who started as long snapper at UK for three years. “I remember when he met my wife (the former Johanna Parrish of Lawrenceburg). Several months later he saw her and knew her name. He asked about her family and how things were in Lawrenceburg. He is a great guy.”

Dickerson hopes Phillips, who was hired as receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at Florida on Monday, will find much future success. “I knew he wouldn't be out of a job long,” Dickerson said in an e-mail. “He is too good of a coach to be out of a job for long. I am happy that he (will) be heading to such a successful program.”