Austin Phillips was named head coach of the University of North Alabama men’s golf program on July 20, 2023, and enters his third season in 2025–26. In his first two years leading the Lions, Phillips guided the program to unprecedented Division I success. After posting an 88-48-2 record in his debut season with two tournament victories, the Lions followed with a 93-39-3 mark in year two, again capturing two team titles. During the 2024–25 campaign, UNA reached a program-best national ranking of No. 78 and recorded its highest-ever ASUN Championship finish with a fourth-place showing. Phillips also mentored standout Xing Luo, who earned multiple ASUN Golfer of the Week honors, All-ASUN recognition, and became the first Lion in the Division I era to qualify individually for NCAA Regionals.
Phillips arrived in Florence after a highly successful tenure at Cameron University, where he led the Aggies to a top-15 NCAA Division II national ranking and earned 2021–22 Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year honors. His Cameron teams won four tournaments, produced multiple all-conference selections, and made back-to-back NCAA regional appearances while significantly improving team scoring averages and academic performance. Phillips previously gained Division I coaching experience as an assistant at Ohio University and worked in tournament administration roles with the Carolinas PGA Section and the Golf Coaches Association of America. A graduate of East Carolina University with two master’s degrees from Ohio University, Phillips is a PGA Associate with USGA Expert Rules Certification. He and his wife, Risa, have a son, Charlie.
