Known as a legend and trailblazer, Teresa Lawrence Philips became the head of Tennessee State University’s athletics department in April 2002. As program director, she made tremendous strides on the playing field, campus, community and classroom.
Under Phillips’ administration, she increased sponsorships for the athletics division, raised the recognition of Ohio Valley Conference scholar-athletes, and was awarded the NCAA Pilot Grant. In addition, she spearheaded athletic facility upgrades, such as the construction of the football indoor practice facility and upgrades to Hale Stadium for the team’s return to playing games on campus.
No stranger to athletic success, she was head coach of the Lady Tigers basketball program at TSU for 11 seasons from 1989-2000. Phillips guided the 1993-94 squad to the program’s first-ever OVC regular season crown, the Ohio Valley Conference tournament championship, and the team’s first appearance in the NCAA tournament. During her tenure as head coach, she was named USA Today National Coach of the Year in 1990 and was a three-time OVC Coach of the Year selection. Philips became the first woman to coach an NCAA Division I men’s basketball team.
Philips graduated from Vanderbilt University in economics before obtaining a master’s in education from TSU in 1999. She was the first African American female student-athlete at Vanderbilt and the first recipient of the Lady Commodore Athlete of the Year.
On the community relations side, Phillips has been appointed to several boards and committees. She is an inaugural member of the Girls Preparatory School Sports Hall of Fame and the Lookout Mountain Sports Hall of Fame. In addition, she was honored in 2016 with the prestigious Betty Probasco Lifetime Achievement Award. She is also a member of the Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame, the Ohio Valley Conference and Fisk University Hall of Fame.