New ACC Commissioner

Augusta_Jacket

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
8,099
Location
Augusta, Georgia
He has Duke connections.

Duke, or ND?

"A 1990 graduate of the University of Illinois, Phillips started his career as a manager and student assistant in Illinois' athletic department. He earned a master's degree in education at Arizona State University in 1992 while serving as a graduate assistant coach. He later became a restricted earnings basketball coach during a period in which the Sun Devils reached the postseason in five-straight years. He transitioned out of coaching into athletics administration work at ASU in 1997.

Phillips holds a Ph.D. in educational administration from Tennessee, which he completed in the summer of 2007. Phillips served as an assistant athletics director with the Volunteers until 2000. He directed a $12.4 million annual athletics giving program, and was directly responsible for identifying, cultivating and soliciting all major gifts and donations for the Volunteer athletic program. He helped originate the first-ever capital campaign for athletics at UT that raised more than $50 million for endowments, facilities and programs. In addition, he supervised several athletic programs and a variety of other areas.

Phillips then moved to the University of Notre Dame in 2000, where he served as associate director of athletics and senior associate director of athletics for external affairs. During 2002-03, he helped launch the Rockne Heritage Fund, which became the first athletics annual fund that directly benefited student-athlete grant-in-aid scholarships. In addition, he managed the ticket office, various corporate sponsorships, athletic programs and a weekly Irish radio show. At the same time, Phillips played an integral part in the funding of a new $24-million, 96,000-square foot athletics facility. At Notre Dame, Phillips directed all phases of the athletics community relations program and helped develop new institutional and departmental advancement programs."
 

deeznats

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
466
And he pretty much accomplished what he was hired to do.
bagdad-bob.jpg
 

Deleted member 2897

Guest
Warning, I don't know anything about this guy other than what I read above.

I see two big positives:
1) He's from outside the conference - avoids appearances of bias, and also will bring a fresh set of eyes that the individual schools can collaborate with.
2) He's from Northwestern - its good to bring in a guy that has worked at high caliber academic institutions.
 

forensicbuzz

21st Century Throwback Dad
Messages
8,851
Location
North Shore, Chicago
Let me start by saying Jim Phillips is a good friend of mine. I'm not name-dropping, just giving my connection for reference. Our 6th graders played elite baseball together, we go to the same church, and we coached house league baseball together. His 5 kids align with my 5 kids pretty well, and there are friendships there too.

Jim is an absolute pillar. My understanding is the B1G Commissioner was his if he wanted it and that he declined the offer (or withdrew his name before an official offer) because he wanted to stay at NW and finish what he started. Actually, He really likes his role at NW and has often said "bigger isn't always better." As you could imagine, our conversations revolved around things other than NW and college sports. However, I'd be surprised if he left Evanston for Greensboro. He's got 5 kids (not 4 as it said in that article), with the youngest two being a Junior in HS and a 6th grader. He's mentioned not wanting to move the kids around. He's also from Chicago (and so is Laura) and has talked up being back home.

That being said, if he does go to Greensboro, he won't be part of the Carolina Mafia. He's the most humble, self-effacing, diplomatic person I've ever met. Yet, he's savvy and won't be railroaded or bullied. He is a huge fan of Georgia Tech and the way we approach athletics and academics. I can't think of a better steward for the ACC moving forward than Jim Phillips.

He was at ASU, Tennessee, and Notre Dame before he went to NW. I thought he received his Ph.D. from ND. I know he was at ND when he earned his doctorate. His only Duke connection is he worked under their current AD.
 

augustabuzz

Helluva Engineer
Messages
3,412
Duke, or ND?

"A 1990 graduate of the University of Illinois, Phillips started his career as a manager and student assistant in Illinois' athletic department. He earned a master's degree in education at Arizona State University in 1992 while serving as a graduate assistant coach. He later became a restricted earnings basketball coach during a period in which the Sun Devils reached the postseason in five-straight years. He transitioned out of coaching into athletics administration work at ASU in 1997.

Phillips holds a Ph.D. in educational administration from Tennessee, which he completed in the summer of 2007. Phillips served as an assistant athletics director with the Volunteers until 2000. He directed a $12.4 million annual athletics giving program, and was directly responsible for identifying, cultivating and soliciting all major gifts and donations for the Volunteer athletic program. He helped originate the first-ever capital campaign for athletics at UT that raised more than $50 million for endowments, facilities and programs. In addition, he supervised several athletic programs and a variety of other areas.

Phillips then moved to the University of Notre Dame in 2000, where he served as associate director of athletics and senior associate director of athletics for external affairs. During 2002-03, he helped launch the Rockne Heritage Fund, which became the first athletics annual fund that directly benefited student-athlete grant-in-aid scholarships. In addition, he managed the ticket office, various corporate sponsorships, athletic programs and a weekly Irish radio show. At the same time, Phillips played an integral part in the funding of a new $24-million, 96,000-square foot athletics facility. At Notre Dame, Phillips directed all phases of the athletics community relations program and helped develop new institutional and departmental advancement programs."
Both. "Phillips arrives with strong ties to the league. He worked in various roles in the Notre Dame athletic department for four seasons before becoming the athletic director at Northern Illinois. He served as Northern Illinois’ athletic director for four years before leaving for Northwestern in 2008. Perhaps most important to the current ACC, Phillips worked for Duke athletic director Kevin White, whose tree of former employees – and also his four children – is considered the most expansive in college athletics."
 

forensicbuzz

21st Century Throwback Dad
Messages
8,851
Location
North Shore, Chicago
Top