Clemson Athletic Director

Terry Don Phillips

On June 30, 2009, Clemson’s football staff moved into the West Endzone at Memorial Stadium.  It was a day of physical exertion for a lot of coaches, but the Tiger football staff performed the strenuous activity with smiles on their faces because the move meant the completion of Phase II of the West Endzone project, a project that has brought the Clemson football facilities to among the best in the nation.

It was also a day that brought a smile to the face of Clemson Athletic Director Terry Don Phillips, who had been working toward that day before he arrived on campus seven years ago.  The creation of the West Endzone facility is another in a long line of accomplishments for Phillips throughout his 30-year career in athletic administration.

Phillips’ vision for the West Endzone was to create a top-of-the-line facility for the football program, but at the same time have a positive effect on the total sports program.  The facility at Memorial Stadium now creates more office space, new locker rooms, and training room and strength training facilities for the Olympic sports programs.

There have been many facility and infrastructure enhancements since Phillips came to Clemson and they have led to a quality all-around program.  In 2008-09, Clemson played in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, the NCAA Baseball Tournament, and a bowl game, one of just 13 schools nationally to participate in all three.  It was also the first time Clemson had done that in 11 years.

The men’s basketball program reached the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year and finished in the top 25 of the final AP poll for the second straight year, a first in school history.  The rowing program had a remarkable year, winning its first ACC Championship and the Varsity 4+ won the national title.  The volleyball team played host to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year and the women’s tennis team finished in the top 20 (#11) for the seventh straight year.

The baseball team won an NCAA Regional and had a #14 final ranking, the golf team finished #6 in the final Sagarin ratings, and the indoor track team finished 23rd at the NCAA Championships.  Overall, six programs received team bids to NCAA Tournaments.

Academically, 17 of the 19 programs were above the national average for public institutions in terms of APR scores.  In the 2009 spring semester, the 15 programs had a 2.97 combined GPA, the highest on record for any semester and 54 percent of the student-athletes made the Academic Honor Roll.

These statistics and accomplishments were contributing factors to Phillips’ selection as one of the top-100 Most Influential Sports Educators in America in 2008, 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 eighth year at Clemson, he has firmly put his imprint on the University and Tiger athletics by creating a balanced, positive environment for success that emphasizes academic integrity, student-athlete welfare, and competing at the highest levels with unequivocal NCAA compliance.

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 the 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 resumé.  He has an undergraduate degree from Arkansas (1970), a master’s degree from Virginia Tech (1974), a doctorate degree 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 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 a 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.

Prior to coming to Clemson, Phillips served as athletic director at 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 appearance, 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.

Phillips was served as athletic director at Liberty (1980-81) and Louisiana-Lafayette (1983-88).  He was 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 (1971-78) before joining the ranks of athletic administration.  At Virginia Tech, he served on coaching staffs that included future Clemson Head Coaches Charley Pell and Danny Ford.

Winning has been on Phillips’ resumé 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, the first brother combination to start together under Broyles.  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.

Phillips has two children, John Dennis (32) and Sarah-Jane (29), and three stepchildren, Meagan (20), a sophomore at Clemson and proud member of Tiger Band, Marshall (19), and Madison (17).  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.