Thomas McPhillips, whose game analysis and tactical knowledge have proven invaluable to the team’s success, is in his seventh season as an assistant coach with the New York University men’s soccer program after joining the staff in 2007.
Last season, McPhillips helped lead NYU to its best start in program history (9-0) en route to ending the season as the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Metro Champions. The ECAC title was the second in school history, with the first coming in 2001.
The Violets were unbeatable in the first half of 2012, and their hot start helped them climb as high as #6 in the NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association of America)/Continental Tire Division III national rankings. The Violets finished the campaign with an overall 12-7-2 record, including a 2-4-1 mark in the University Athletic Association (UAA).
In 2010, McPhillips helped NYU soar to new heights. The Violets went 11-3-4 overall and 4-0-3 in the UAA, claiming their first-ever UAA Championship. The squad climbed as high as #20 in the national rankings and earned the right to host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division III Championship.
The 2010 team broke several school and UAA records on defense. NYU became the first squad in UAA history to go all seven Association games without allowing a goal. The Violets broke school records for goals-against average (0.47) and consecutive shutout minutes (754:50), while tying the record for shutouts (12).
For its efforts, NYU earned UAA Coaching Staff of the Year honors that season.
In McPhillips’ first season with the program, the Violets went 13-5-1, climbed as high as #4 in the national rankings and made their second consecutive NCAA Championship appearance.
McPhillips has known Head Coach Joe Behan since they played together with the New York Shamrocks of the Cosmopolitan League in the 1990’s.
Born in Rochester, NY, McPhillips moved to Kilkenny, Ireland, at the age of five and lived abroad before coming to New York when he was 20. He graduated from the Carlow Institute of Technology in Carlow, Ireland, in 1986 with a diploma in construction management.
In addition to his responsibilities with the NYU soccer team, McPhillips also currently works as a construction manager with a general contracting firm in New York City.
McPhillips resides on Long Island, NY, with his wife, Mary, and their five children: Kevin, Thomas, Jr., Kathryn, James, and Grace.
