Men's Tennis
- Title:
- Associate Head Coach
- Email:
- tphillips@unc.edu
University of North Carolina alumnus Tripp Phillips joined the Tar Heel men’s tennis coaching staff in 2006 and has distinguished himself as head coach Sam Paul’s chief assistant ever since. He was promoted to associate head coach in the summer of 2013.
Entering his 21st season on staff at Carolina in 2025-26, Phillips continues to be one of the top recruiters and coaches in the nation. In 2021, he won the ITA Carolina Regional Assistant Coach of the Year award.
In his 20 years as an assistant coach, the former professional player has made a huge impact on the UNC tennis program during an era in which the Tar Heels have advanced to the NCAA Tournament all but two seasons.
His work in recruiting has also lifted the Tar Heel program to new heights, with UNC players earning ACC Freshman of the Year honors twice (William Blumberg in 2017 and Benjamin Sigouin in 2018). Phillips also played a key role in recruiting 2023 Australian Open doubles champion Rinky Hijikata.
After graduating from Carolina in 2000, Phillips began a highly successful professional career. The righthander achieved a career-high Association of Tennis Professionals’ (ATP) doubles ranking of 29th on October 6, 2006. In singles, Phillips reached his high point as the 343rd-ranked player in the world on May 19, 2003.
Phillips was coached as a professional by both Paul and Charlotte Country Day varsity tennis coach Calvin Davis. While he enjoyed success as a singles player, notching victories against players such as Michael Chang, Harold Levey and Oscar Hernandez, Phillips ultimately decided to focus his efforts on doubles and the results he achieved in those events gave him a better opportunity to play in the world’s biggest and most respected tournaments.
Phillips had perhaps his most successful year as a doubles player in 2006, when he paired with Australia’s Ashley Fisher. The pair reached the semifinals of the 2006 U.S. Open, a run that was highlighted by wins against Andy Murray as well as two of the Top 10 doubles teams in the world. Phillips and Fisher also won the doubles championship at the 2006 ATP event hosted in Tokyo.
In 2007, Phillips continued his success as an established doubles player, earning seeds in three of the four Grand Slam tournaments and reaching the round of 16 in the U.S. Open. In 2008, he qualified for Wimbledon, and also won the ATP event hosted in Indianapolis.
The background to Phillips’ successful career on the ATP tour was an outstanding college career from 1996 to 2000 as a member of the tennis team at the UNC, where he was a tireless and intense competitor and valued team leader.
Phillips returned for a fifth-year senior season in 2000 after taking a medical redshirt and earned All-America honors after posting a stellar 25-6 singles record at the top singles flight. During that season, he defeated top-ranked Daniel Anderson and third-ranked Shuon Madden in singles play while helping the Tar Heels to a second-place ACC finish and a No. 16 national ranking. Phillips dominated the conference at number one singles, posting a 12-2 record in ACC play. After the team competition in 2000 was over, he advanced to the quarterfinals of the individual portion of the NCAA Championships in singles, earning a No. 12 national ITA ranking to finish the season.
UNC honored Phillips’ playing career and character with the 2000 Patterson Medal, a prestigious award given annually to the school’s top male and female senior student-athletes. When he won the Patterson Medal, he was the first UNC tennis player to receive the award since Vic Seixas in 1950. He also captured the ITA’s John Van Nostrand Memorial Award, which is given annually to an outstanding senior men’s player who plans to pursue a professional tennis career upon graduation.
Phillips was born in Newport News, Va., on August 26, 1977, and grew up in Charlotte, N.C. He married Laura Zuger on November 4, 2006, and they have two sons: Owen T. Phillips IV and James Zuger Phillips.
