Clemson Athletic Director

Terry Don Phillips

For a person who has coached and worked in athletics administration his entire career, it may be surprising that Dr. Terry Don Phillips defines his passion and drive as Clemson’s athletic director by his recent inclusion as one of the 100 Most Influential Sports Educators in America, as named by The Institute for International Sport at the University of Rhode Island.  The institute’s objective involved a four-year process and resulted in a list that spans scholars, Olympians, coaches, and other industry leaders “who have creatively and effectively used sport in the very best way, as a means to educate and shape positive values.”

Phillips’ athletic career and academic pursuits epitomize that desire.  Perhaps still the only Division I athletic director with both a doctorate and law degree, he uniquely blends the discipline and inspiration created on each side of campus.  In his seventh year at Clemson, he has firmly put his imprint on the University and Tiger athletics through his leadership toward a balanced, positive environment for success.

Those influences are obvious in his strategic plan for Tiger athletics, which provides for a model program that can compete at the highest levels with academic integrity, concern for the student-athlete, financial responsibility, and in full compliance.

By far, Phillips’ deepest professional satisfaction is reflected in the young man or woman who defies the rigor and challenges of a student-athlete, achieves in the classroom, triumphs in competition, acquires healthy life skills, and leaves Clemson with a degree, fully prepared for a bright future.

Phillips’ leadership is obvious both visually and through the vast improvements in Clemson’s facilities, most notably the new WestZone at Memorial Stadium.  Through a practical and steady fiscal approach, the first phase of the $57-million project was completed in the fall of 2006 with the installation of new locker rooms and 1,000 private luxury club-level seats.

The Phase II funding, which includes a comprehensive football facility and new strength training center for the program, has been finalized, and construction began in the summer of 2008.  When complete, the Jervey and McFadden buildings will undergo a makeover for the men’s and women’s Olympic sports.

Other improvements have taken place at many other athletic facilities, contributing to the program’s all-around performance in 2007-08.  Eight Tiger programs finished in the top 25 for the second straight year.

The Clemson football and men’s basketball teams both finished in the final top 25 of their respective AP polls.  That was just the third time in school history that had been achieved, including the first time since the 1989-90 academic year.  Clemson was one of just five programs nationally ranked in the top 25 of both sports.

Clemson’s women’s programs had a strong year, as the women’s tennis and volleyball teams claimed ACC Championships.  Both of those programs, plus the young rowing program, received NCAA bids and were ranked in the final top 25.
         
From an academic standpoint, all of Clemson’s sports programs performed strongly in terms of the NCAA’s graduation success rate and APR statistics.  The student-athletes combined to earn a 2.89 GPA for the 2007-08 academic year, with eight sports programs scoring at least a 3.0 GPA in one of the two semesters.  The football program scored its highest team GPA on record as well.
         
Phillips was recognized nationally for his performance at Clemson in June of 2006 when he was honored by NACDA (National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics) as the 2005-06 GeneralSports Turf Systems Athletic Director-of-the-Year for the Southeast Region of FBS.  He was one of just four FBS athletic directors honored at the annual convention in New Orleans, LA.
         
Excellence in academics has been a constant on his résumé.  He has an undergraduate degree from Arkansas (1970), a master’s from Virginia Tech (1974), a doctorate from Virginia Tech (1978), and a law degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law (1996).  He is a member of the Arkansas Bar, American Bar Association, and the Sports Lawyers Association.

Phillips remains a classroom presence by teaching a sports law section in Clemson’s Accountancy & Legal Studies department.  In addition, he is past chair of the NCAA Division I Infractions Appeals Committee.  He has written on diverse areas, such as antitrust and the NCAA, student-athlete welfare, alternative dispute resolution, and Title IX.  His doctoral dissertation on Title IX involved an historical review of the law and was the first national study of Title IX implications on college athletic programs.  This research spawned his intent and desire to study law.
         
From an experience standpoint, Phillips has worked in nearly all phases of college athletics.  He coached on the football staff at Virginia Tech, supervised spring sports and student-athlete enrichment at Florida, handled athletic fundraising at Missouri and Arkansas, and had 15 years experience as an athletic director, including 13 at the Division I level, prior to his appointment at Clemson, coming from Oklahoma State.
         
Football was transformed from a perennial losing status to defeating Oklahoma during five of the eight years he was associated with Oklahoma State (1994-02).  For this, he received the National Football Foundation Oklahoma Chapter Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award in 2002.  Additionally in 2006, he was named one of the top-25 most influential people in the history of Oklahoma State Athletics by GoPokes Magazine.
         
When it came to success on the field and in the classroom, Oklahoma State’s programs were among the Big 12’s best.  The achievements of the program included two national titles in men’s golf, a men’s basketball Final Four, two trips to the College World Series, 13 Big 12 titles, and 11 individual national champions along with 53 academic All-Americans.
         
Before leading Oklahoma State, Phillips served as senior associate athletic director at Arkansas from 1988-94.  He ran the daily operations and had oversight of facility projects for the men’s programs, and he was president of the Razorback Foundation.
         
Phillips was the athletic director at Liberty (1980-81) and Louisiana-Lafayette (1983-88).  He was also an assistant athletic director at Missouri (1981-83) and began his administrative career in 1979 as an assistant athletic director at Florida.
         
Phillips began his career in college athletics coaching football.  He started as a graduate assistant at Arkansas in 1970 and 1971.  He moved on to Virginia Tech as an assistant coach from 1971-78 before joining the ranks of athletic administration.
         
Winning has been on Phillips’ résumé since his playing days at Arkansas.  He lettered on three Frank Broyles teams (1966, 68, 69), where he and his brother Loyd, an Outland Trophy winner, were starting defensive tackles.  Arkansas had a 27-5 record in the three years, played in two Sugar Bowl games, and played in the memorable 1969 National Championship game against Texas.
         
In addition to Phillips’ tenure with the NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee, he also serves on the NCAA Select Committee for At-Risk Student-Athletes and works with the NCAA certification program.  He currently serves on several ACC Committees...chair of the Committee on Infractions & Penalties, Committee on Awards, Television Committee, Men’s Basketball Committee, and Football Committee.
         
Phillips has two children, John Dennis (31) and Sarah-Jane (28), and three stepchildren, Meagan (19), a sophomore at Clemson and proud member of Tiger Band, Marshall (18), and Madison (16).  His wife Tricia is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and earlier enjoyed a career in athletics and development.  She is now active in the Clemson and Seneca communities.