Athletic Director Del Phillips will be stepping down from the Athletic Director spot later this month. There is a running joke about him always cutting the grass. We are going to miss the beautiful fields he maintains, and I hope that the incoming AD, Mr. Scott Ferguson, enjoys the grass as much as Del! I wanted to interview Coach Phillips to figure out what his time as AD was like.

Q: What was your first year at Apex?

A: 2005 was my first year at Apex. I came as the head Varsity Baseball Coach.

Q: How long were you the baseball coach for?

A: For three years, from 2005-2008. In my third year as the Baseball Coach, I took over as AD. In 2008 I was the Head Baseball Coach and AD.

Q: How long were you AD?

A: I have been the AD for thirteen years. (Was it fun, have you enjoyed it?) Yes, I have enjoyed it. I have had my hands in all of the sports, and I also enjoy working on fields. It was a responsibility I knew I would look forward to.

Q: What is your retirement date?

A: January 31, 2019

Q: What was your goal as AD?

A: Well, it kind of changes over the year. Initially, it was to improve the facilities. When I first got to Apex, the baseball field was in pretty bad shape. We were able to do $150,000 of renovations to the field. My situation is where I would take care of the fields and allow the coaches to coach.

Q: What is your greatest accomplishment as AD and as a Coach? 

A: As far as AD, we won the state Wells Fargo cup in 2014-2015. I think overall though, since I have been here is the steadiness and consistency of the program. Since I have been here, we have either finished first or second in the conference twelve out of the thirteen years. As a school we have won seventeen state championships, and eleven of those have occurred during my career as AD. However, it’s not just me. It’s the coaches, kids, and families who have supported this school to bring its success.

Q: How many Wells Fargo Cups have we won?

A: We have won six Wells Fargo Cups. The other six years we finished second in the conference, and we finished third one year.

We wish Coach Phillips the best retirement. We greatly appreciate his dedication and service he has given to Apex High School. Being the AD is no easy task, but Coach Phillips has made it appear so with the tremendous job he has done!

(Image credit to HighSchoolOT)