Entering his 22nd year coaching football (with winning records in each of the last 11 seasons), Jason Phillips begins his first year as Norfolk State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2024.
Prior to joining the Norfolk State staff, Phillips spent five years building a winning program at Alcorn State, serving as the team’s wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator from 2018-2022 before transitioning to the role of co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2023.
One of the more unique offensive minds in all of football, Phillips implements elements of Run-Pass Option and Deep Choice into his schemes that have proven record-breaking here at Alcorn and his previous stops. In 2023, Phillips helped lead the Alcorn State to a 7-4 record while averaging 343.0 yards of offense per game.
In 2022, the Braves’ offense ranked 16th nationally in Team Passing Efficiency, 28th nationally in Passing Yards Per Completion, 27th nationally in Completion Percentage, and 42nd nationally in Total Offense.
In 2019, Phillips helped the Braves win their second consecutive SWAC Championship and Celebration Bowl appearance, with the team finishing first in the SWAC (45th nationally) in Red Zone Offense, second in the SWAC (15th nationally) in Team Passing Efficiency, and third in the SWAC in Scoring Offense (22nd nationally).
Phillips saw two of his young receivers have major breakthroughs in 2019, with Chris Blair–who was signed as an Undrafted Free Agent to the Green Bay Packers in 2021–finishing sixth nationally and first in the SWAC in Yards Per Reception, and LeCharles Pringle finishing fourth nationally and first in the SWAC in Receiving Touchdowns, which tied the school's all-time record in Receiving Touchdowns in a season while winning the SWAC Championship Offensive MVP.
In the 2018 season, Phillips’ first as a Brave, the team won the first of back-to-back SWAC titles while finishing first in the SWAC (seventh nationally) in First Downs Offense, first in the SWAC (eighth nationally) in Rushing Offense, first in the SWAC and 13th nationally in Total Offense, and first in the SWAC (27th nationally) in Red Zone Offense. Additionally, Phillips played a major role in signing the 22nd-ranked 2018 FCS recruiting class, according to Hero Sports.
Prior to Alcorn State, Phillips served as the Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach/Wide Receivers Coach at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, a post he held for 4 years. During his time there, the Bulldogs captured the MACJC South Division Title and finished in the top 10 national rankings twice, while finishing the 2017 season ranked 2nd nationally in Rush Offense.
Phillips served as an Offensive Analyst/Assistant QB Coach for the 2013 season at Troy. The team finished the regular season eligible for a bowl game, and Phillips developed Corey Robinson, who is the Sun Belt’s all-time leading passer and the 15th ranked passer in FBS history.
From 2010-2012, Phillips had one-year stints at the college and high school level: 2012 as the Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach/Wide Receivers Coach at Southwest Mississippi Community College, 2011 as the Wide Receivers Coach at St. Joseph’s College, and 2010 as the Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach at Knox Central High School in Tennessee.
While finishing his bachelor’s degree at the school, Phillips spent 2 seasons with Tusculum College as the Wide Receivers Coach, where he helped the team capture a SAC Championship, finish top 20 nationally, and coached Division II’s all-time leading passer, Bo Cordell.
Phillips would get his start coaching offense at the high school level, where he would develop offenses at 3 schools near his hometown of Maryville, Tennessee: Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach at Clinton High School (2006-2007), Quarterbacks Coach at Anderson County High School (2005), and Quarterbacks Coach at William Blount High School (2003-2004).
An experienced recruiter who bases his livelihood on positive relationships, Phillips served as the primary or secondary recruiter in signing 5 Army or Under Armour All-American selections, signing 3 recruits ranked in the top 200 national rankings, and recruiting the following Division I FBS transfers to Alcorn State and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College: CJ Bolar (Vanderbilt), Monterio Hunt (Rutgers), Dayall Harris (Miami, FL), Terrence Edgeston (Houston), Sam Bruce (Miami, FL), Demarre Kitt (Clemson), Torrance Gibson (Ohio State), and AJ Erdley (UAB). Throughout his career, Phillips has recruited and subsequently developed 3 All-Americans and 25 All-Conference players.
A 2009 graduate of Tusculum College (B.A. in Physical Education), Phillips originally began his college career playing baseball at Carson-Newman and then baseball and football at Maryville College.
Phillips and his wife, Brooke, live in the Hampton Roads area with their daughters Kaylie and Megan, and their son George. Phillips’ oldest daughter, Sydney, is pursuing her bachelor’s degree at Tennessee.
