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The University of Kentucky has fired head coach Joker Phillips effective at the end of the season, the school announced on Sunday. Phillips was in his third season as head coach of the Wildcats, the first head coaching postion of his career. UK has stumbled to a 1-9 record in 2012 following a 40-0 loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday.
Phillips hasn't posted a winning season at Kentucky, but did lead the program to a Compass Bowl berth in 2010. His overall record with the Wildcats is now 12-23, with just four of those wins coming in SEC play. UK is 4-19 in conference under Phillips, who started his coaching career with the program as a graduate assistant in 1988.
The Wildcats have yet to beat an FBS foe this year, with their only win coming over Kent State. The only one of their losses that finished with a single-digit margin came against Georgia on Oct. 20. UK followed that up with losses to Missouri and Vanderbilt by a combined 63 points.