Entering his third basketball coaching search at Ohio University, Director of Athletics Jim Schaus wanted someone who had previous head coaching experience.
After former Ohio coach Jim Christian left Athens for a head coaching job at Boston College on Thursday, Ohio Athletics announced the hiring of North Dakota State coach Saul Phillips to head the basketball program just after midnight Sunday.
“Saul is passionate, energetic, a great communicator and is inspiring,” Schaus said in a news release. “He has a reputation as an excellent recruiter and players’ coach. … I am confident about Saul helping us build Bobcat basketball to new heights of excellence.”
Phillips’ contract will last five years, paying him a base salary of $550,000 per year. In August, Phillips agreed to a five-year $175,000 extension with North Dakota State.
Phillips is coming off his most successful season with the Bison, leading them to a NCAA Tournament victory against fifth-seeded Oklahoma. It was the program’s first-ever victory in the “Big Dance.” The Bison were then knocked out by San Diego State in the following round.
In his time with North Dakota State, Phillips put up a 134-84 record with two NCAA Tournament appearances, five winning seasons and a College Basketball Invitational Tournament bid.
He is fourth all-time in wins in the program’s history.
“I am extremely excited about the future of Ohio basketball and I am elated to have a chance to add to its rich tradition,” Phillips said in a news release. “This is an outstanding university in a terrific community.
“I want our fans and my players to know that I will pour maximum energy and enthusiasm into Bobcat basketball.”
Before his hire as the Bison coach in 2007, Phillips was an assistant at Wayne State, Lake Superior State, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and North Dakota State. He also served as the director of basketball operations at Wisconsin under coach Bo Ryan.
Phillips, a 41-year-old Reedsburg, Wis., native, graduated from Wisconsin-Platteville in 1996 and was the captain of the university’s undefeated basketball team that won a 1995 Division III national title for Ryan, who was the coach at the time.
Will Ryan, an assistant for the Bison and Bo’s son, will follow Phillips to Athens per a report from Jon Griffith of WKOW-TV in Madison, Wis.
Phillips will be formally introduced as Ohio’s new coach at a news conference Tuesday.
@c_hoppens
ch203310@ohiou.edu
