University of Houston Athletics
Former Cougar Standout First Sumlin Hire
12/20/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 20, 2007
HOUSTON, Texas - University of Houston head football coach Kevin Sumlin on Thursday announced the hiring of Jason Phillips as a member of his offensive staff. Phillips returns to his alma mater after spending one season at Baylor University.
"Jason brings exceptional experience as both a former player and an alum of Houston," said Sumlin. "He has a great feel for Houston, and he has been a part of the recent success as well as the success back in the 80s.
"He will be a vital part of us taking this program to elite status."
This past season at Baylor Phillips served as the recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach under head coach Guy Morriss.
Phillips is pleased to be returning to his old stomping grounds.
"It feels great to be back here," said Phillips. "I'm really excited about the opportunity to come back home, and as you well know, there is no place like home. I am really excited about being back.
"(Coach Sumlin) is a guy that a lot of people have respect for. I've always had a lot of professional interactions with him, but it's going to be a great opportunity to get to know him personally."
He first returned to UH in 2003 to coach wide receivers, and his return paid immediate dividends. Phillips coached for the Cougars a total of four years, one year on the defensive side of the ball with the cornerbacks in 2005 before returning to offense in 2006, where he tutored the Cougar wide receivers.
In his final season with UH before heading to Baylor, senior wide receiver Vincent Marshall became the school's all-time leader in both receptions and receiving yards. He was named Conference USA Second Team, while junior wide receiver Donnie Avery was selected to the Third Team.
Under Phillips' tutelage in 2003, Brandon Middleton was named First Team, All-Conference USA as well as an Honorable Mention All-America selection after setting a Conference USA receiving record with his 1,250 yards on just 55 receptions. In 2006 Vincent Marshall was named a Second Team, All-Conference USA wide receiver. Phillips also has mentored two Conference USA All-Freshman receivers: Leonard Gibson and Donnie Avery.
Prior to his return to Houston under Art Briles, Phillips coached wide receivers at Southwest Texas State in 2002 and was an offensive assistant under head coach Dana Dimel at Houston in 2001.
As an All-America athlete at UH, Phillips was on the receiving end of many "Run-n-Shoot" passes from Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware. Under the leadership of head coach Jack Pardee, Phillips led the nation in receiving in 1987 and 1988, becoming the first NCAA player in 23 years to accomplish such a feat in two consecutive seasons.
Phillips garnered All-Southwest Conference honors, was the 1987 SWC Newcomer of the Year and received All-America recognition from United Press International (UPI) in his rookie season at UH. In addition to earning All-SWC First-Team honors and being named SWC Co-Offensive Player of the Year, Phillips was a Consensus First Team, All-America in 1988. He was also selected to the SWC's All-Decade Team for the 80s.
After a successful playing stint at Houston, Phillips was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1989 and played for two seasons under head coach Wayne Fontes. In his first season with the Lions, Phillips hauled in 30 receptions for 352 yards including a rookie-record 10 passes for a 155-yard performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Phillips was acquired by the Atlanta Falcons in 1991 and played for four seasons under head coach Jerry Glanville and offensive coordinator June Jones. As a Falcon, he was part of a receiving core that included Pro Bowl receiver Andre Rison, Mike Haynes, Drew Hill and Mike Pritchard. He continued his professional playing career and joined his former UH coach Jack Pardee in the Canadian Football League in 1995. Phillips spent the 1995 season with the Birmingham Barracudas and was named to the South All-Star Team before being acquired by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1996. In two seasons with the CFL, Phillips totaled 136 receptions for 2,029 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Phillips began his coaching career with the Spring Football League's Houston Marshals in 1999. He tutored wide receivers and served as an assistant offensive coordinator for two seasons, helping guide the Marshals to a league championship in 1999.
In 2001, Phillips returned to the NFL as an offensive intern coach for the Minnesota Vikings. Under the direction of head coach Dennis Green and offensive coordinator Sherman Lewis, Phillips worked closely with wide receivers Randy Moss, Chris Carter, Jake Reed and Chris Walsh. He earned another offensive intern coaching position with the Atlanta Falcons in 2002 under head coach Dan Reeves.
A native Houstonian, Phillips was a football standout at Ross Sterling High School where he earned All-District and All-Greater Houston honors as a senior quarterback. He continued his football and academic career at Taft Junior College, playing both quarterback and wide receiver. Phillips was named team MVP as well as a First-Team, All-Conference selection as a rookie quarterback and earned All-State honors as a wide receiver at Taft before transferring to UH.
Phillips earned a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from UH in 2001. He and his wife, the former Kimberly Robinson, live in Houston. Phillips was inducted into the Houston Hall of Honor in 2006, joining his teammate Andre Ware in the illustrious hall.
