James J. Phillips is an American college athletic administrator. He is the commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), a position he has held since 2021. Phillips served as the athletic director at Northern Illinois University from 2004 to 2008 and Northwestern University from 2008 to 2021.[1][2][3][4]
_033_(cropped).jpg) Phillips in 2024 | |
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Commissioner |
| Conference | ACC |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 2004–2008 | Northern Illinois |
| 2008–2021 | Northwestern |
| 2021–present | ACC (commissioner) |
Phillips is a Chicago native and received a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign,[5] followed by a Master of Education from Arizona State University and a Ph.D. in educational administration from the University of Tennessee.
In 2023, Phillips was accused of covering up widespread hazing and sexual abuse in Northwestern University's football program. Dozens of lawsuits have been filed against Philips in litigation headed by noted civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump.[6] Despite Phillips involvement in the sex abuse scandal, The Atlantic Coast Conference has made no effort to investigate or punish Phillips.[7]
Personal life
editThe youngest of 10 children from a Catholic family, Phillips has been described by Sports Illustrated writer Pat Forde as "an emphatic Catholic" and "punctilious in the practice of worship". When working at the ACC's uptown Charlotte headquarters, he attends the 12:10 pm mass at a church within walking distance of the headquarters daily. He and his wife Laura, herself the youngest of seven children from a Chicago Catholic family, have five children.[8]
References
edit- ^ "ACC Selects James J. Phillips as Conference's Next Commissioner". www.theacc.com (Press release). Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- ^ DeCock, Luke (December 14, 2020). "ACC picks Northwestern's Jim Phillips as commissioner. Here are the challenges he'll face". News and Observer. Raleigh, North Carolina. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- ^ Pesek, Shannon (December 14, 2020). "James J. Phillips selected to be next ACC Commissioner". news.northwestern.edu. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
- ^ DeCock, Luke (December 14, 2020). "In hiring Jim Phillips, the ACC broke with 70 years of tradition. It was time". News and Observer. Raleigh, North Carolina. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
- ^ Teel, David (January 12, 2023). "A tireless advocate for ACC, Jim Phillips also a natural candidate for Big Ten". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
- ^ Northam, Mitchell. "ACC commissioner Phillips tight-lipped on Northwestern hazing scandal". www.wunc.org. WUNC. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ DeCock, Luke. "ACC commissioner's new baggage a burden the league didn't need to shoulder right now". The News & Observer. The News & Observer. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ Forde, Pat (May 13, 2024). "ACC at a Crossroads: Jim Phillips Facing Internal and External Threats to League's Survival". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
External links
edit
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