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July 9, 2009
OXFORD, Ohio - Kelly Phillips has been named the head women's cross country/track and field coach at Miami University, director of athletics Brad Bates announced Thursday.
Phillips joins the RedHawks after serving as the assistant women's cross country/track and field coach at Purdue University, where she coached middle and long-distance runners for the past four seasons, and has 10 years of experience coaching in collegiate athletics. During the course of her coaching career, she has guided 36 student-athletes to the NCAA Championships in either cross country or track and field.
"Kelly Phillips is an outstanding coach, better leader, better educator and even better person," Bates said. "Her background as a very successful student-athlete, assistant coach and head coach perfectly position her to guide our program and we are extremely fortunate to have her join the Miami family. We look forward to her leadership for our program and her many, future contributions to our evolution as a Culture of Champions."
During her stint with the Boilermakers, Phillips saw the Purdue Varsity Cross Country Course 5K record broken and the second-fastest 6K time posted, while the women's cross country team earned USTFCCCA All-Academic Team honors each year she was there and took home Purdue's President's Cup, awarded to the team with the highest grade point average, two consecutive seasons.
"I am extremely happy for Coach Phillips," said Jack Warner, Purdue's head men's and women's cross country/track and field coach. "I owe a lot of thanks to Coach Phillips for all her efforts in improving our women's distance area. Miami is getting a quality coach and a quality person. She will bring a lot of energy and a tremendous work ethic in her new position. I can speak for the whole staff and team when I say that we are going to miss her and we all wish her the best of luck at Miami."
Prior to Purdue, Phillips took a break from coaching and founded Claremont Trails Running Camp in Claremont, New Hampshire, which she helped grow from 12 campers to over 100 in just three years directing and establishing the camp.
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Before stepping away from coaching to open Claremont Trails, Phillips worked at South Florida from 1997-2001. During her time in Tampa, she served as the men's and women's associate cross country/track and field coach, and later the head coach. While working for the Bulls, Phillips guided 33 student-athletes to the NCAA Championships and helped South Florida claim the women's cross country crown twice (1998, 1999), including the team's first-ever league title, and the men's cross country Conference USA title in 2000. She also made sure her teams were achieving in the classroom, as the women's cross country team earned Academic All-America honors from 1998-2000, while the men's team achieved the distinction in 2000. For her efforts, Phillips was named Conference USA Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year twice and Men's Coach of the Year once, as well as the league's Women's Track and Field Coach of the Year in her final season with the Bulls. From 1998-2000, she also was awarded the NCAA's South Region Cross Country Coach of the Year.
Phillips also served as the meet director for Conference USA's Cross Country Championships in 1998 and the league's Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 2001. In addition, she helped fundraise over $70,000 during her tenure to help support the South Florida cross country and track and field teams by organizing road races in the Tampa Bay area.
"(Former head coach) Rich Ceronie started the distance tradition at Miami, and while only here a short time Rita (Arndt-Molis) took the Miami program to a new level," Phillips said. "What an exciting time to be a RedHawk! My primary goal is to take the championship culture that has been created and bring it to an even higher level on the cross country team and the track & field team. Miami is a place that can consistently have a national caliber team, have graduates at the top of their class, and be a positive influence in the community. It will be my job to see that these things happen and I am very fortunate to have been given this opportunity."
Phillips got her start in coaching at her alma mater, Auburn University, as a graduate assistant coach from 1991-1993, working mainly with distance runners. As an athlete at Auburn, Phillips was a two-time All-American in the mile and 3000m and set 14 school records as a student-athlete. She earned her bachelor's degree in marketing from Auburn in 1991.
Phillips later went on to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 1500m in both 1992 and 1996. In 1995, she was also the Olympic Festival Champion in the 1500m and finished fifth at the Pan American Games in Argentina.
Phillips, who replaces Rita Arndt-Molis after she resigned earlier this month, has a husband, Mike, and two sons, Michael and Connor.
What they're saying about Phillips:
Brad Bates, Miami University Director of Athletics:
"Kelly Phillips is an outstanding coach, better leader, better educator and even better person. Her background as a very successful student-athlete, assistant coach and head coach perfectly position her to guide our program and we are extremely fortunate to have her join the Miami family. We look forward to her leadership for our program and her many, future contributions to our evolution as a Culture of Champions."
Jack Warner, Purdue University Head Men's and Women's Cross Country/Track & Field Coach:
"I am extremely happy for Coach Phillips. I owe a lot of thanks to Coach Phillips for all her efforts in improving our women's distance area. Miami is getting a quality coach and a quality person. She will bring a lot of energy and a tremendous work ethic in her new position. I can speak for the whole staff and team when I say that we are going to miss her and we all wish her the best of luck at Miami."
THE PHILLIPS FILE
Name: Kelly Phillips
Education: Auburn, bachelor's degree in marketing (1991)
Collegiate Athletic Experience/Awards:
Auburn (1986-1991)
Two-time All-American at Auburn in the mile and 3000m
Set 14 school records as a Tiger
Running Experience:
Two-time Olympic Trials qualifier in the 1500m (1992 & 1996)
Olympic Festival Champion in the 1500m (1995)
Fifth at Pan American Games in 1500m (1995)
Coaching Experience:
Purdue, Women's Assistant Cross Country Coach/Distance Coach (2005-2009)
South Florida, Men's and Women's Head Cross Country/Track & Field Coach (2000-2001)
South Florida, Men's and Women's Associate Head Cross Country/Track & Field Coach (1997-2001)
Auburn, Men's and Women's Graduate Assistant Coach - distance runners (1991-1993)
Coaching Distinctions/Honors:
36 NCAA Qualifiers in Cross Country and Track & Field
Guided South Florida Women's Cross Country Team to two Conference USA Championships (1998, 1999)
Guided South Florida Men's Cross Country Team to a Conference USA Championship (2000)
Conference USA Track & Field Women's Coach of the Year (2001)
Conference USA Cross Country Men's Coach of the Year (2000)
Conference USA Cross Country Women's Coach of the Year (1998 & 1999)
NCAA Cross Country South Region Coach of the Year (1998-2000)
NCAA Academic All-America Cross Country Team - Women (1998-2000; 2005-2008)
NCAA Academic All-America Cross Country Team - Men (2000)
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