New Purdue women's basketball associate head coach April Phillips looks to provide support
Experience as a head coach should help Phillips in her role on Katie Gearlds' staff
April Phillips understands the seat Katie Gearlds occupies as a head coach.
The Purdue women’s basketball team’s new associate head coach is fresh off a three-year stint leading San Jose State’s program. Although the experience didn’t end well, the native of Southern California is aware of the support a head coach needs.
Phillips plans to provide those elements to Gearlds.
“Just understanding the pressure and knowing that, ‘Hey, sometimes your head coach needs to get checked on at night because they can’t sleep,’ ” Phillips said, speaking from experience. “Those little things mean so much. I hope that I can be that type of support for coach Katie.”
Before taking over San Jose State’s program, Phillips was an assistant or associate head coach at six different programs, including Georgia Tech, California, Arizona, and Texas.
“I think that every experience you learn, you learn more of who you are, you learn more of what not to be, what to do. I think it's just a constant learning curve, and we're a constant revolving door of growth,” Phillips said.
“I think my opportunity as a head coach has helped me to be probably better for Katie because you see it in such a different way.”
As an assistant, Phillips said her role is to keep Gearlds’ vision and mission consistent, and understand that attention to detail is vital to a successful program.
“Being the support for a head coach that I know a head coach needs is what I want to be,” said Phillips, who posted a 23-71 record at San Jose State. “I want to be somebody that pushes her - no head coach needs a ‘yes’ person. Whatever she needs for that vision to come to fruition is what I’m going to do.”
Phillips replaced Alex Guyton, who wasn’t retained after last season. Phillips will help work with the team’s post players and also assist recruiting coordinator/assistant coach Mark Stephens in expanding the recruiting footprint from “coast-to-coast,” utilizing her connections.
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“I think AP knows just about everybody, and it opens our borders up a little bit, so we're not so pigeon-toed in the Midwest,” Gearlds said. “I think AP gives us a broader horizon in today's world. You never know what your roster is going to look like from one year to the next.
“Her experience at the P4 level, I think that’s huge. She’s someone who's been a head coach recently, and knows what it's like to walk in those shoes.”
Phillips was five years old when she started playing basketball, and her two older brothers “used to beat me up.” She stood on the sidelines at the YMCA, dribbling the basketball, and over time continued to improve.
Her playing career included stops at Georgia Tech and Xavier. Her teammates at Xavier were one-time Purdue signee Dee Dee Jernigan and one-time commitments Amber Harris and Ta’Shia Phillips. Purdue athletic director Mike Bobinski was Xavier’s AD when April Phillips attended the school.
“I've always had coaches throughout my journey who have been extremely influential, have taught me tough lessons, and I just want to be that person for these young women,” Phillips said. “I just love the game. I love the game and where it can take you and what it can do for you.”
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