(Photo courtesy Cowley College)
Long-time Cowley College track and field head coach Mark Phillips, who was inducted into the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019 and will soon be inducted into the NJCAA Coaches Association Hall of Fame at the national indoor track and field championships, has made the decision to step away from coaching at the end of the 2021 outdoor track and field season, according to a news release posted by Cowley College.
Phillips came to Cowley in 2003 after spending the previous 12 years at Johnson County Community College, including four years as head coach.
“My time here at Cowley has been wonderful,” Phillips said. “I can’t express my thanks to (former athletic director) Tom Saia for hiring me at Cowley. My time here at Cowley has been more than wonderful and I can’t thank everyone enough.”
Having taken the Cowley College track and field program to incredible heights, Phillips recently began his 18th year at the school. He has guided the Tiger men’s track and field team to six of the past 14 indoor conference titles and five of the past 13 outdoor conference championships. He has also led the women’s team to three of the past four conference titles and back-to-back outdoor conference titles.
During the 2020 season, Phillips guided the Cowley College women’s track and field team to a 10th place finish at the Indoor Track and Field Championships.
“I attribute my success to my assistant coaches, they make everything great here,” Phillips said. “I also attribute my success to my hard work I have done over the years.”
Phillips
Phillips is going to coach the team’s vaulters, high jumpers and heptathlon and decathlon till the end of the outdoor season in May, 2021.
“I will miss the student-athletes the most,” Phillips said. “My whole time here everything was wonderful every day I came to work here.”
Phillips will be remembered for the championships he brought the school over the years, and for his willingness to help with events on campus. In all, Phillips coached more than 275 All-Americans, 10 NJCAA national champions, three NJCAA record holders, and one Olympic Festival gold medalist.
“I want to thank Mark for his service to Cowley Athletics over the past 18 years,” Cowley athletic director Shane Larson said. “He built the track and field team into one of the top programs in the country and has impacted countless students’ lives as the coach of our program.
“We are very grateful for his contribution to Tiger Athletics and will work diligently to continue his legacy of excellence with the track and field program.”
Phillips has also served as an assistant cross country coach at the school and helped the 2010 men and women’s cross country teams capture national championships as well as the 2020 women’s team.
