Original article (Women’s Basketball announces April Phillips as assistant coach) on the University of Texas’ athletic website texassports.com.
Texas head women’s basketball coach Vic Schaefer announced on Wednesday the hiring of former Cal assistant coach and recruiting coordinator April Phillips as an assistant coach with the Longhorns program.
“I’m really excited about April Phillips coming to the Forty Acres,” Schaefer said. “Her experience both as a collegiate player and professional as well as an assistant coach really sets her apart. I genuinely believe she will make a tremendous impact on our program. April will be fantastic with our student-athletes, and they will love her energy and passion for the game.”
Phillips ventures to the Forty Acres after spending the last two seasons at Cal following previous coaching stints at Arizona (assistant coach/recruiting coordinator – 2018-19), Loyola Marymount (associate head coach/recruiting coordinator – 2015-18), Georgia Tech (grad assistant coach – 2014-15) and New Haven (assistant coach – 2013-14).
With the Golden Bears, Phillips served as the recruiting coordinator and was responsible for duties including player career development, marketing/social media, post development, scouting, late-game situations and team/player management. During the 2019-20 campaign, she led the charge in helping Cal sign the No. 6 ranked recruiting class and was a part of upset wins over three top 25 teams (No. 20 Arkansas, No. 13 Arizona and No. 22 Arizona State).
“Texas is a very special place that combines academic and athletic excellence, but we know that it’s the people that matter most,” Phillips said. “I am humbled by the guidance of the most high to put me in a position to work alongside Coach Schaefer, whom I respect immensely, and his outstanding staff. My spirit is happy. I’m excited and determined to be relentless in our efforts together to create a life-changing, transformational experience for our young student-athletes both on and off the court. I can’t wait to meet our team and get to work.”
During the 2018-19 season at Arizona, Phillips helped guide the Wildcats to the biggest turnaround in school history (12 more wins than the previous year), the first 11-game winning streak in program annals and to the 2019 Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) championship. Along the way, she helped tutor All-Pac-12/Pac-12 All-Defensive selection Aari McDonald as well as Pac-12 All-Freshman selection Cate Reese.
Prior to her arrival in Tucson, Phillips served as the associate head coach at Loyola Marymount. As the program’s recruiting coordinator, she helped sign two of the top recruiting classes in Lions’ program history and was named to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) “30 Under 30” list in both 2017 and 2018. She helped bring 2018 West Coast Conference Newcomer of the Year Gabby Green into the program and played a role in developing WCC standouts Bre Alford, Jackie Johnson, Cheyanne Wallace and Sophie Taylor.
Before LMU, Phillips spent a season as a graduate assistant at Georgia Tech (2014-15) and a year at New Haven (2013-14) where she helped the Chargers to their first NCAA Division II Tournament berth since 2007. Leading up to her time in Connecticut, Phillips served as the Coordinator of Basketball Operations at Seton Hall, assisting Hall of Fame coach Anne Donovan with practice planning, recruiting, student-athlete welfare and day-to-day operations.
Prior to returning to the collegiate ranks, Phillips served as co-president, head trainer and coach from 2010 to 2013 at S&A Next Level Basketball, an organization that runs NCAA-certified women’s leagues in addition to various clinics and camps. She also served as the general manager of basketball operations of Sportsplus in Cincinnati, Ohio, from 2010 to 2011, where her responsibilities included marketing of basketball leagues, camps and training.
A native of Long Beach, Calif., Phillips started her playing career at Georgia Tech, earning time in 26 games for the Yellow Jackets during the 2005-06 campaign.
Following her rookie campaign, she transferred to Xavier where she played basketball and competed in track & field. She was named to the All-Atlantic 10 Conference third team her senior season and helped Xavier to three NCAA Tournament appearances and two Atlantic 10 titles. As a senior in 2010, Phillips held lead the Musketeers to a 30-4 record and the NCAA Elite Eight, eventually losing 55-53 to No. 2 Stanford to fall just short of the first Final Four appearance in program history. Phillips also excelled in track and field, winning the 2019 Atlantic 10 Conference shot put title and also setting the school’s outdoor shot put record.
Prior to her collegiate career, Phillips was a two-time Nike All-American & Street & Smith Honorable Mention All-American as well as the nation’s sixth-best wing player according to the 2004 All-Star Girls Report while playing at Long Beach Polytechnic High School.
Phillips was a preseason camp invite with the WNBA’s New York Liberty (2010) and played professionally in Israel, Finland and Belgium.
She graduated from Xavier with a bachelor’s degree in business information systems and minors in both communication and gender & diversity studies. Phillips is currently pursuing her master’s degree in higher education from Loyola Marymount.