Wide receivers coach Tee Martin leaving for USC

Wide receivers coach Tee Martin is leaving to take the same position at the University of Southern California, he texted Cats Illustrated on Wednesday night.

"Yes," he texted. "Took the job at SC."

A UK athletics spokesman confirmed the move late Wednesday night.

In a statement released Thursday, UK head coach Joker Phillips thanked Martin and his wife for the past two seasons.

"Tee has done a good job for us and we appreciate the efforts and contributions that he and Toya have made to our team and to the community the last two years," Phillips said. "We wish the best for Tee and his family."

Martin, who quarterbacked Tennessee to the 1998 national championship, joins Lane Kiffin's staff after two years at Kentucky. He was hired to replace Phillips, who coached the wide receivers before being promoted to head coach. Martin was promoted to passing game coordinator prior to the 2011 season.

Kiffin had previously coached one year at Martin's alma mater.

Martin had never been a wide receivers coach before arriving at Kentucky. He had spent just one year coaching at an FCS program, when he was quarterbacks coach at New Mexico in 2009.

But he made a major splash in recruiting in his first year, signing several players for the Wildcats. He was named one of Rivals.com's top 25 recruiters in the nation in 2011. Safety Glenn Faulkner, a U.S. Army Bowl All-American; multipositional athlete Bookie Cobbins; defensive back Eric Dixon; and wide receivers Demarco Robinson, Daryl Collins and Rashad Cunningham were all recruited by Martin in the 2011 signing class.

He also helped sign running back Justin Taylor, quarterback Jalen Whitlow and offensive lineman Jordan Watson in the 2012 class.