James J. Phillips became Northwestern University's 21st director of intercollegiate athletics and recreation on April 14, 2008. He has brought with him a successful Division I track record — and a commitment to the values that Northwestern always has maintained in collegiate athletics.

A Chicago native, Phillips strives to provide the student-athlete with a "world-class experience" that enables them to succeed academically, socially and athletically.

Phillips quickly made a big impact at Northwestern, hiring nationally renowned women's basketball coach Joe McKeown in June 2008. He then inked field hockey’s Tracey Fuchs, arguably the most successful player in the history of USA Field Hockey.

Phillips also has retained successful coaches at Northwestern. In 2009, he signed head football coach Pat Fitzgerald to a new seven-year deal. Women’s lacrosse coach Kelly Amonte Hiller, who led the ’Cats to five-straight NCAA titles, received a long-term extension, as did men’s soccer coach Tim Lenahan.

NU has enjoyed unprecedented recent athletic success. The football team logged a 9-4 record in 2008 and went 8-5 in 2009, qualifying for the Alamo Bowl and the New Year’s Day Outback Bowl, respectively. Men’s basketball made back-to-back NIT appearances, while, in 2009-10, women’s basketball advanced to the WNIT. The 2009-10 season marked the first time in school history that the “Big Three” sports all advanced to postseason play.

Academically, in 2009-10 Northwestern received its best-ever academic progress rating from the NCAA. Every Wildcat program achieved a four-year average of 981 or better, 10 points higher than the lowest score in 2008-09. Ten other Northwestern varsity programs were recognized for being in the top 10 percent of their sports.

In 2010, Northwestern launched the first wide-ranging marketing campaign in the athletic department’s history. The campaign, "Chicago's Big Ten Team," is aimed at building brand awareness and driving ticket sales.

Phillips also has signed a deal to have the 2010 Wildcats play Illinois at Wrigley Field in what will be the first football game there since 1970 — and the first college football game there since 1938.

NU signed major corporate sponsorship deals with Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Harris Bank, re-branded its media rights holder to Northwestern Sports Properties and signed a television deal with CSN Chicago to carry the new Pat Fitzgerald Show as well as a basketball coaches show with Bill Carmody and Joe McKeown.

Phillips has served on the NCAA Champions Forum panel and is part of the NACDA Executive Committee, World Sport Chicago Board and NCAA Fellows Leadership Development Program.

Before arriving in Evanston, Phillips was athletic director at Northern Illinois University from 2004, presiding over unprecedented athletic success and consistent academics. During that time, he served as chairman of the MAC Athletic Director's Council and was a member of the NCAA Women's Basketball committee.

A 1990 University of Illinois graduate, Phillips started his career as a manager and student assistant in the Illinois athletic department. He earned a master's degree in education at Arizona State University and completed his doctorate in educational administration from Tennessee, where he was an assistant athletics director until 2000.

Phillips moved to the University of Notre Dame in 2000, serving as associate director of athletics and senior associate director of athletics for external affairs.