LOGAN, Utah – Jason Phillips and head coach Gary Andersen have the same vision for their student-athletes and both strive to build positive and lasting relationships with their players. Phillips was officially announced as Utah State's passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach on Dec. 16, 2018.
Phillips, who played professionally for eight seasons, including six years in the NFL, has coached in six bowl games during his collegiate career. Phillips comes to Utah State after spending the 2018 season as the wide receivers coach for the Salt Lake Stallions of the Alliance of American Football. Prior to that, he spent the 2017 season as the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at Oregon State with Andersen and was the wide receivers coach at Kansas in 2016. Prior to his one-year stint at Kansas, Phillips spent three years on the coaching staff at SMU, where he served as co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach from 2012-14. Phillips came to the SMU program after completing his ninth season at Houston, where he served as offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach. Phillips had also served as UH's recruiting coordinator.
During his tenure at Houston, Phillips worked with numerous stellar wide receivers, including Donnie Avery, the first wide receiver taken in the 2008 NFL Draft. In his last four seasons at UH, Phillips produced seven 1,000-yard receiving seasons from four different players. Phillips also directed an offense led by quarterback Case Keenum, whom Phillips helped to numerous NCAA records.
Following one of the team's practices earlier this week, we caught up with Phillips for a Q&A.
Q: Talk about your first few months on the job and being a part of Coach Andersen's staff again?
Phillips: "It was a joy to be reunited with Coach Andersen. I've spent some time with him at Oregon State, but since we've been here, his philosophy and the way he feels about student-athletes hasn't changed one bit. That is the most exciting thing about being here. The first day on the job was basically making sure we're all on the same page as far as what his visions and philosophies are, as well as caring out his vision. It's been great being here."
Q: Talk about your relationship with Coach Andersen as you also worked with him at Oregon State?
Phillips: "He and I have a great relationship. I had opportunities to work with great coaches over my years and he's definitely one of those guys. At this point, it's about quality of life and being with a guy that has the same vision that you have for student-athletes. Having the opportunity to reunite with him was the most exciting thing about this process for me. I'm excited about it and I can't wait to get things started in the fall."
Q: What did you know about Utah State football before accepting this job?
Phillips: "I knew a little bit about it based on my relationship with Coach Andersen when we were at Oregon State together. I had a chance to meet Chuckie Keeton and I know those guys were very successful here. This is all new to me. This is my first opportunity to be in the state of Utah. Things here have been great and its great being in a very competitive conference in the Mountain West. Obviously, with Boise State, Fresno State and now Utah State's history, the Mountain West has a presence."
Q: What are your impressions of the Aggie offense from what you have seen during spring practices?
Phillips: "I've seen a lot of similarities from last year. Jordan Love is still a part of what we're doing here. The main goal for us offensively coming in was to not change anything, but adapt to what those guys were successful at doing last year, learning the system and grow from there. That's what we've been doing and I'm excited about Jordan and the rest of the players returning. The young guys are getting an opportunity to prove themselves and I'm excited about that."
Q: Can you talk about the Aggie defense and the challenges they have created for the offense this spring?
Phillips: "Tipa (Galeai) and the fact that he's practicing. He's a nightmare to defend and protect your quarterback. He does some things that can disrupt practice at times. The defense, from what I've seen, Coach Justin Ena has brought it to the table, as well as Coach Andersen being in that room, is an aggressive style of play. They play with man coverage and you say as an offense you want to see that, but the way they play, there's a lot of things that come with that. They're very aggressive and their two styles fit each other very well. They complement each other well and the fact they're aggressive on defense and we're aggressive on offense as far as the pace of play is huge."
Q: Talk about your wide receivers group and what you have been working on this spring?
Phillips: "What we want to do and our goals for the spring was to be a tough-minded, physical group, and a group that has to come together. A lot of those guys didn't really have an opportunity to play last year. The production there is something that we're missing based on what they were able to accomplish last year. It's an opportunity for some guys to step up and identify themselves as the next up-and-coming guy here in this program. I'm excited about that and those guys are working extremely hard. That is one of the things I noticed when I first got here is they're not shy of working. They're willing to get out there, do the things that you're asking them to do and they're very coachable. With that attitude, it's been a pleasant surprise. Normally, you have to pull teeth to get guys to do certain things, but these guys were willing to do it from day one. I'm excited about the group of guys we have."
Q: Are there any wide receivers that has surprised you or exceeded your expectations this spring?
Phillips: "There's a little bit of all of that going on right now. Jordan Nathan is obviously the guy you would like to see step up in a leadership role, along with Taylor Compton, which they both have embraced and done that. Deven Thompkins is a guy that's probably one of the most explosive guys in the room. Just to see his maturity, that's the biggest thing. With all of these guys, watching them mature and develop over the course of four weeks of practice has been exciting."
Q: What has surprised you about USU football since you arrived on campus?
Phillips: "I had my big wow moment when I first drove up here back in December. Just seeing the city of Logan and the mountain tops is picturesque. Seeing the facilities and the way they're set up here is everything we need to be successful. There's a couple of things that we can add, in addition to it, to keep up with everybody else in this conference. My biggest wow moment was pulling in and seeing things that we have and telling myself, 'Wow, I didn't expect this.' It was a pleasant surprise."
Q: How did you get into coaching?
Phillips: "I got into coaching when I finished my playing career. I went back to school at the University of Houston and finished my degree. My main motivation for coaching was the coaches I had in my life. It started off with Pop Warner football, junior high school, high school, college, even in the pros. Guys were invested in me, making sure I was able to achieve some of the things I did as a player, and to make sure I did things right on the field, off the field and academically. A big part of why I'm here and a big part of why I'm coaching today is the coaches that have been a part of my life. I have a gratitude to those guys and I want to pay it forward. I want to be that guy for the guys that I encounter every year in coaching."
Q: What do you enjoy doing when you are not coaching football?
Phillips: "I enjoy golf. That will be the number one thing for me. I love the game, love the toughness of the game from a mental standpoint and I love the fact that it's hard. It's challenging and each swing is different. Each putt is different, each course is different and I love everything about that game. It consumes a lot of my off time."
Q: Do you have any hobbies or hidden talents?
Phillips: "I wish I did have some hidden talents and some hobbies. I try to sing, but my wife encourages me that that's not my gift. She shuts that down every time I try to cut a vocal note. I'm just a guy that loves sports and love being active. Reading is another thing I like to do as well."
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