Joe Schad: Michigan targeting NU AD Jim Phillips
Interesting. Isn't this the guy that was jumping around under the goalpost waving "no good" at Michigan's fire drill FG at NU in 2013?
Michigan has targeted Northwestern athletics director Jim Phillips as a candidate to succeed Dave Brandon.
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) November 1, 2014
This is an indication that Michigan will seriously consider AD candidates without Michigan ties.
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) November 1, 2014
November 1st, 2014 at 12:01 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 12:03 PM ^
Indeed. We can supply the ties later.
November 1st, 2014 at 12:08 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 12:20 PM ^
November 3rd, 2014 at 6:55 AM ^
we need a mich man period..
November 1st, 2014 at 5:49 PM ^
November 3rd, 2014 at 6:56 AM ^
great point. thanks for sharing!
November 1st, 2014 at 12:21 PM ^
I don't know him or his rep, so asking.
November 1st, 2014 at 1:18 PM ^
Bad idea. I know people inside NU's athletic department and there's a feeling Philips is a slimy self-promoter.
Don't forget, Michigan went after Pat Fitzgerald and how is that cheerleading phony working out?
November 1st, 2014 at 12:02 PM ^
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November 1st, 2014 at 12:04 PM ^
Cumong man. Northwestern has NEVER made the NCAA Tournament. NEVER. I'm pretty sure he isn't the only AD in their history.
November 1st, 2014 at 1:15 PM ^
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November 1st, 2014 at 12:07 PM ^
We already have John Beilein
November 1st, 2014 at 12:07 PM ^
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November 1st, 2014 at 12:09 PM ^
DB even gave Beilein the extension in 2010-11 when things were off to a rough start.
November 1st, 2014 at 12:33 PM ^
for Hoke. That is how out of touch he was.
November 3rd, 2014 at 6:57 AM ^
True, Beilein is the man though
November 1st, 2014 at 12:04 PM ^
"I've only been here for about 110 days, I feel like a 'Michigan Man' already. - Mark Schlissel" - Michael Scott
November 1st, 2014 at 12:05 PM ^
...he was waving as if to say "he didn't get it off before time ran out," not "that's not between the uprights."
November 1st, 2014 at 12:09 PM ^
Looked like clown last year at NWU - wearing purple tie, high-fiving field hockey team, jumping around like a ref on the FG. I like the names Long and Bates much better. Of course, I would get "input" from UM alums - especially ones who are head coaches in the NFL right now.
November 1st, 2014 at 12:12 PM ^
That description suggests that he's a real dude who loves Northwestern and will wear and do anything to show it. That might be exactly the kind of guy we need at Michigan after the DB era.
November 1st, 2014 at 1:41 PM ^
and wouldn't do anything to show it?
November 1st, 2014 at 2:37 PM ^
Yes.
And tell your son to get his ass to Ann Arbor. kthxbai
November 1st, 2014 at 12:20 PM ^
Other than the unsubstantiated belief that he is Harbaugh's BFF, what about Bates suggests to you that he is a superior AD to Phillips? Their resumes are functionally equivalent to one another... if anything, Bates has a longer track record of making shitty football hires compared to Phillips who brought in Jerry Kill at NIU.
November 1st, 2014 at 12:46 PM ^
Now, Long hired Bobby Petrino and Bret Bielema (pretending the John L Smith era never happened). Good hires--character issues notwithstanding.
November 1st, 2014 at 3:27 PM ^
If you're referring to the 10 months he spent at Arkansas, I don't think you can fault that hire. Petrino was fired in April of 2012. There weren't a lot of coaches sitting around looking for work at the time.
If it had been a year earlier, on the other hand . . . .
November 1st, 2014 at 7:20 PM ^
We were there too and he was standing around on the sidelines in his dress shirt and tie (no jacket in lousy weather) seeming like he wanted to be seen. Based on that alone, I'd rather we look at someone else. If he's an AD who has a need to be seen or be the center of attention, no thank you. But, I'll keep an open mind if he's very good in other ways.
November 1st, 2014 at 12:08 PM ^
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November 1st, 2014 at 12:08 PM ^
Can he convince Harbaugh to come here? That's the main hiring criteria AFAIC.
November 1st, 2014 at 12:08 PM ^
I know their Deputy AD, Chris Reynolds...I know he has respect for him, but that's "boss-speak" in my eyes.
Personally, I think we can do better. But from what I've read in the past 10 minutes he certainly sounds like an upgrade.
November 1st, 2014 at 12:10 PM ^
I'd take a cheeseburger over DB as AD.
November 1st, 2014 at 12:21 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 12:29 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 2:49 PM ^
and go to bed
November 1st, 2014 at 12:10 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 12:13 PM ^
It's not his fault the basketball program is bad. It always has been.
November 1st, 2014 at 12:13 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 12:14 PM ^
Is there something about Phillips that makes him particularly attractive as an AD? His name was never among those suggested over the past few weeks.
November 1st, 2014 at 12:23 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 12:17 PM ^
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November 1st, 2014 at 12:18 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 12:26 PM ^
But...why insert logic into fandom AD mania. DONT HIRE NU GUY or ANYONE WHO DOESNT OVERSEE A WINNING FOOTBALL PROGRAM. ROOOAAARRRR.
Oh, go blue and NU (Nebraska)
November 3rd, 2014 at 1:55 AM ^
this is the most hilarious thing about this process, the media and general public thinking an AD search == a coaching search. Like the only criteria AD's are judged on are football wins and losses.
This is a story because we haven't fired Hoke yet and people are looking to vent their pent up desire to track flights and shit.
November 1st, 2014 at 12:22 PM ^
here: http://www.insidenu.com/2014/11/1/7142439/michigan-reportedly-targeting…
In short:
This is generally par for the course with Phillips, as he is repeatedly mentioned for open AD jobs. He was reportedly a candidate for the open Penn State job this year. This is a bit different, because if Schad is correct, he seems to be "the" top target, which is different than the Penn State opening. Phillips has expressed that he's happy in Evanston, and he has reportedly turned down numerous AD jobs since arriving at NU, including the Stanford job.
Seems like a strong candidate if he was up for Penn State and Stanford.
November 2nd, 2014 at 12:11 AM ^
Some more info:
How did he get to Northwestern? How much longer will be stay there (Hint: I don’t know)? And why does it feel like a lot of other schools covet him? Let’s go way back. Phillips graduated from Illinois in 1990 and served as a manager and student assistant in the school’s athletic department. He completed a master’s degree in education at Arizona State and a Ph. D. in educational administration at Tennessee.
Phillips served as an assistant AD with the Volunteers, then held multiple positions at Notre Dame, who hired him in 2000. Phillips became Northern Illinois’ AD in 2004. Over his four years there, Phillips struck a four-year rights deal with a major Chicago radio station, scheduled football games against Big Ten teams Iowa, Michigan and Ohio State and was at the forefront of a fundraising campaign for a $14 million athletics facility. He was the driving force behind several other fundraising campaigns and hired Jerry Kill (now at Minnesota) as football coach.
http://www.insidenu.com/2014/7/31/5955007/jim-phillips-northwestern-ad
November 1st, 2014 at 12:28 PM ^
Since coming to NU, he's helped to drive the planning and development for their new lakefront facilities which look like they're going to be awesome. He inherited Fitz so unclear how he would approach hiring a football coach at the B10 level, but the Kill hire at NIU was a winner. He probably stuck with Carmody too long and the jury is still out in Collins but we have Belein so we're fine.
Unlike Brandon, Phillips has a lot of background in college athletics working at Arizona State, Tennessee and Notre Dame before going to NIU. He also seems pretty media savvy, which would be a nice change. He's definitely a Midwest guy as an Illinois grad and has been mentioned for AD openings at Illinois and Penn State in the past. Salary at NU is around $750k according to the Chicago Tribune.
I think he would be a great candidate.
November 1st, 2014 at 11:05 PM ^
November 1st, 2014 at 12:31 PM ^