Eric Phillips joins the Cardinals Cross Country and Track & Field staff after serving a year as Head Cross Country Coach at Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City, Tennessee for the 2018-2019 year.

While at Carson-Newman University Phillips coached an 8th Place individual finish and All-American performance at the 2019 NCAA DII Cross Country National Championships in Pittsburgh, PA along with three additional All-American performances during the Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field campaigns in the 5,000m and 10,000m events. These were the first All-American accolades in the distance events and Cross Country in school history during their NCAA era. The year was also marked by four All-Southeast Region accolades, eight All-South Atlantic Conference accolades including two Conference Champions along with three individual and team All-Academic honors.

Phillips served two years as a Graduate Assistant Coach at the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND for the 2016-2018 seasons where he assisted in coaching the Marauders to two NCAA DII National Champions, two NCAA DII National Runner-ups, 11 NCAA DII individual All-Americans, a Women’s Distance Medley Relay All-American team, two NCAA DII Central Region Champions, 29 NCAA DII Central Region All-Region Performers, 11 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Champions, 43 NSIC All-Conference Performers, 19 NCAA DII Academic All-Americans, five NCAA DII All-Academic Team Awards and 48 NSIC Individual All-Academic Awards. Phillips also assisted in coaching the 2017 NCAA DII Women’s National Runner-up Team as well as the 2018 NCAA DII Women’s Indoor Track & Field 4th Place Team. Previously, Phillips was also a part of a 7th place team finish at the 2016 NCAA DII Women’s Cross Country National Championships, the program’s first ever NCAA DII Central Region Women’s Cross Country Team Title and the program’s first ever NSIC Women’s Cross Country Team Title which were both repeated in the 2017-2018 year along with an Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field NSIC Team Title to match.

In his time as a Graduate Assistant Coach for the Marauders, Phillips earned his M.S. in Kinesiology. He also has earned certifications through the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association in Strength & Conditioning, Sports Psychology, Injury Management, Meet Management and Sports Science for the Endurance Athlete

As a collegiate student-athlete, Phillips attended Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan earning his B.S. in Clinical Exercise Science with a minor in Psychology. In his time as a Laker, Phillips was a two-time Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference runner-up in the 800m, contributed to a GLIAC runner-up performance on the Distance Medley Relay as well as a 14th place finish at the 2011 NCAA DII Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 800m.

Following his high school graduation, Phillips earned his USATF Level 1 Coaching certification and returned to his alma mater as an Assistant Cross Country and Track & Field Coach at Heritage High School of Saginaw, MI in the fall of 2013. He would later take the helm of the Girl’s Track & Field team as Head Coach in the spring of 2016.

Eric and his wife Alaina are both Saginaw natives.