Maryland football coaching turnover continues with Jon Hoke, Joker Phillips reportedly taking new jobs

Maryland football is facing more coaching changes.

Defensive coordinator Jon Hoke is reportedly expected to leave the program for a position with the Atlanta Falcons, while wide receivers coach Joker Phillips is reportedly taking the same job at North Carolina State.

The NFL Network reported Tuesday that Hoke will join defensive coordinator Dean Pees’ staff as the defensive backs coach. This will mark Hoke’s fourth foray in the NFL after serving as the defensive backs coach for the Houston Texans from 2002 to 2008, the Chicago Bears from 2009 to 2014, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2016 to 2018.

Phillips is joining coach Dave Doeren’s staff at N.C. State, according to AL.com. Phillips spent two seasons with the Terps, helping develop on of the team’s best position groups and serving as co-offensive coordinator. The former Kentucky coach previously coached wide receivers at Florida (2013), with the Cleveland Browns (2015), and at Cincinnati (2017-18).

Maryland has parted ways with five assistant coaches this offseason. Special teams coordinator George Helow was named safeties coach at Michigan last week.

On Jan. 11, coach Mike Locksley announced that the program had parted ways with offensive coordinator Scottie Montgomery and offensive line coach John Reagan and replaced them with Dan Enos as the new offensive coordinator and Brian Braswell as the new offensive line coach.

Part of that announcement also included the promotion of defensive line coach Brian Williams to co-defensive coordinator to work in conjunction with Hoke. Williams molded a defensive line that contributed to the defense ranking second in the Big Ten in sacks per game (2.8). He also was ranked as the top recruiter in the conference and the No. 5 recruiter nationally, by 247Sports.

Hoke had recently completed his second year as the Terps’ defensive coordinator and safeties coach. The pass defense finished the 2020 season ranked third in the Big Ten in yards allowed per game (200.0) and opponents’ completion percentage (.564) and had given up the fewest passing touchdowns (two).

Pees, who had been the Ravens defensive coordinator from 2012 to 2017, will also reportedly hire former Ravens outside linebackers coach Ted Monachino to fill that same role in Atlanta under new head coach Arthur Smith.

In a player-related development, sophomore cornerback Vincent Flythe has entered the transfer portal.

The former three-star recruit totaled three tackles and one pass breakup in eight games in 2019 as a redshirt freshman, but did not appear in any games last fall.