Issue date: 4/15/08 Section: Campus

photo courtesy of northwestern athletic media services. New Wildcats' A.D. Jim Phillips, seen here with the NIU soccer team, emphasized the importance of connecting with student-athletes and said he would extend dinner invitations to NU's athletes.

The journey began as a child on Chicago's Northwest Side, going to football games at Dyche Stadium and following the ups and downs of Northwestern athletics. It continued at Notre Dame and Northern Illinois, where he gained national renown as one of the most passionate, hardworking men in college sports.

Now Jim Phillips has finally come home.

The Wildcats' new athletic director arrived on campus Monday morning, after a 17-year rise to national prominence and a two-month stretch marred by tragedy, both personal and professional.

"I cannot tell you how excited I am," Phillips said Sunday, hours before his first day on the job. "I grew up following Northwestern. I've always loved NU from afar, and now I'm thrilled to become a part of the Wildcat family."

The 21st A.D. in NU's 113-year athletic history, Phillips replaces Mark Murphy, who left after four years to become president and CEO of the Green Bay Packers. Phillips was named A.D. on Feb. 28, replacing interim A.D. Robert Gundlach.

"This is a perfect fit for Jim and for us," said NU president Henry Bienen. "He's rooted in the area, and this is big-time athletics with great academics. And I think he'll be great for us as well."

The 42-year-old hails from Chicago's Portage Park neighborhood, eight miles east of O'Hare International Airport. He brings an impressive resume that includes stops at Arizona State, Tennessee, and Notre Dame. And during the last four years, he revolutionized NIU sports as the school's athletic director.

At NIU, Phillips oversaw construction of the Yordon Academic and Athletic Performance Center, the largest capital athletic project in the school's history. He also arranged for the football team to play on the state's biggest stage, Chicago's Soldier Field, and helped guide the athletic department in the aftermath of the tragic Feb. 14 shooting of several NIU students.

But it was Phillips' dedication and passion, both to his job and his student-athletes, that made the biggest impression on NU administrators and coaches.

Continued...

Page 1 of 4 next >

Article Tools