Kansas Wrestling Forums General Discussion College Changing of the guard for Cardinal Wrestling

PHILLIPS NAMED HEAD COACH

Ryan Phillips was named the new Head Coach of the Labette Community College wrestling program last evening at the Board of Trustees meeting. He takes over the Cardinal program after completing six years as an assistant coach at NCAA Division 2 Upper Iowa University. He will begin full time on Monday April 15, 2013. A meeting with the current members of the wrestling team is scheduled for Monday March 25th at 3:00 PM in the gymnasium.

Phillips began his collegiate career at Wartburg College and transferred to Upper Iowa prior to his senior season (2006-07). Phillips was the champion of the St. Cloud State Open. His senior season culminated in a 29-5 record and championship titles in the NCAA Division II North Regional and the NCAA Division II National Championships at 197 pounds.

The national championship was the first for Upper Iowa at the Division II level. Phillips finished his National Championship run with a 4-0 record and won his matches by a combined score of 43 to 6. Phillips performance was even more impressive as he did not surrender an offensive point throughout the championship. Phillips, who came into the national championships ranked #3 in the country, finished his collegiate career with a 16 match win streak that included a NCAA Regional Championship and an NCAA National Championship. Phillips defeated four of the top eight ranked wrestlers in the country over the course of the NCAA Regional and National Championships.

Phillips collected an All-American award, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Wrestler of the Year award, and Northern Sun All-Conference honors. Off the mat, Phillips was a member of the Upper Iowa wrestling team that was ranked #8 in the NCAA Division II All-Academic Team Rankings presented by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA).

He was an Academic All-American in 2005-06 while wrestling at Wartburg. As a member of the Upper Iowa wrestling team Phillips won a Division II National Championship at 197 lbs. in 2006-07.

Phillips graduated from Burlington High School in Burlington, Iowa where he was the high school's first Iowa State Champion (215 pounds). Phillips is married to Tiffany Hansen. He is excited to become the third head coach in Cardinal wrestling history and looks forward to a successful 2013-14 wrestling season.

Congrats to Coach Phillips!

TCOB

Congrats coach Phillips!

Wishing Coach Phillips all the best in TCOB behind the big red curtain!

Welcome to Kansas Coach Phillips

Kansas College Wrestling Fund Committee: Please call or e-mail if you have any questions.

Sean McCarthy – Chairman (913) 579-1835 – cell, e-mail - smokeycabin@hotmail.com

Will Cokeley - Vice Chairman (708) 267-6615 – cell, e-mail – willcokeley@gmail.com

Bill Peterman – Secretary (913) 626-4459 – cell, e-mail – billpeterman@hotmail.com

USA Wrestling – Kansas Inc. – Treasurer (Mike Juby – e-mail – mikejuby@usawks.com)

Wayne Petterson – College Coach – (620) 431-2820 Extension 210 work, e-mail wpetterson@neosho.edu

David Nordhues - College Coach - (O) 785 460 5503 (C) 308 750 2745

Ryan Smith – College Coach – (316) 617-9025, e-mail smithry@newmanu.edu

Steve Woody – USAWKS – Corporate Board Director (District IV Director) (785) 626-3309, e-mail stripes@ruraltel.net

Travis Keal – Kansas HS Coach Mill Valley, Previous KWCA - President, (913) 645-6050 – cell, e-mail tkeal@att.net

Jeff Butler – Wrestling Supporter (808) 230-1371 – cell, e-mail jrod400@aol.com

Dan Harris - Dan.Harris@bakeru.edu



If you have any questions on how to help - feel free to contact any of the KCWF committee members.

Yes, welcome to Kansas!!

Good luck Coach Phillips and welcome to the KS Wrestling community, it is a great one. You will have a lot of support here. A lot of people are working hard to keep collegiate wrestling alive & well in our state. And to grow it, as well.

I've heard great things about Coach Phillips! Best of luck!

It will be intersting to see how many 2nd year wrestlers Coach Phillips will be able to retain. Best of luck!

I anticipate a nice rivalry developing between LCC and NEO. A healthy one of course. Due to proximity alone, but throw in the history of the programs, NEO and Labette both with proud traditions (NEO of course before dropping the program in the early 90s), and of course the tie of the programs via the coaching change...should be very interesting!

Thank you to all the supporters of Labette Cardinal wrestling for giving me a warmed welcome to the Kansas wrestling community. I appreciate the opportunity to lead young student-athletes to life after wrestling, as well as, giving them the tools to succeed on the mat. Entrusting the Program to me is a great honor, and I look forward to start the next chapter in my life in Parsons, KS.

Feel free to contact me at ryanphillips@labette.edu

Thank you to all,

Coach Phillips
LCC Wrestling

Sounds like a class act. Good luck Coach Phiilps!!!

Coach Phillips coached along side my former college coach at Upper Iowa and I have full confidence in his abilities. He's a DII National Champ and has had an integral part in coaching numerous DII Champs and All-Americans. Upper Iowa is an underfunded/over-achieving DII program that is a perennial top 5 National finisher. We've got a good one in Coach Phillips.

Kind of sounds like a junior college in southeast Kansas.

Hopefully the administration at Labette will do a better job with funding and supporting their most successful athletic program.

Best of luck to Coach Phillips and the Cardinals.