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#NACMAYP of the Month (September 2018) - Ryan Phillips

By Chris Grosse posted 10-19-2018 15:04

  
#NACMAYP of the Month - September 2018

Name: Ryan Phillips

Current Position: Marketing & Game Operations Coordinator

Number of Years in Current Position: Almost 2 years

Conference: Atlantic 10

Alma Mater(s): University of Dayton ’16, Currently working on my MBA at UD

Twitter Handle: @rjphillips09

LinkedIn Address: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-phillips-40449680

 

When/why did you decide to pursue a career in college athletics?

The decision to pursue a career in college athletics happened during my Junior Year at UD. At the time, I was leading Red Scare (The student section) and didn’t fully know what I wanted to do. I was going back and forth on a couple of options when I sat down and had a meeting with Neil Sullivan (The Deputy AD at the time. He is now the AD at Dayton). He really showed me the ins and outs of college athletics in that meeting and, in turn, got me really excited about pursuing a career in college athletics.  


What is one thing that has surprised you about working in this profession?

The biggest surprise has been my understanding, and appreciation, of the little things that don’t ever get noticed by the general public. For example, we host the First Four of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament here at UD Arena. When I was a student, I never really thought of how much went into hosting the First Four. However, after one year of working here, I realized how many people put in countless hours to pull it off. There are a lot of people already working hard to make sure the 2019 NCAA First Four is a success!  I think we all can tell so many more stories that help illustrate this point even further. There are a ton of people who deserve MVP awards for what they do behind the scenes!


What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Appreciate the moment. This is something I was told early on and it has really stuck with me. We get to work in such an awesome industry where we get to do amazing things on a weekly basis. Whether it is making that memory for a young fan with their parent that they will talk about 20 years from now or watching the student athletes succeed at the highest level, everything we are doing is so much bigger than ourselves. It is such a privilege to be working in this industry.


Who is your role model in this industry and why?

There are a lot of great folks who I have had the honor of working with/watching in my short time in the industry. The one person that comes to mind right now is Brian Bowsher. I was privileged to be able to work with him when I worked at the University of Washington in 2016. That guy just works and works and works. I spent a lot of time talking with him while I was there and always left his office thinking “I hope I know as much as him one day”. His knowledge of the industry and his love for what he is doing is something I strive for and hope to achieve one day. If you don’t know Brian, I strongly suggest you get to know him! He is the man!


What are your career aspirations?

As of right now, I want to be an Athletic Director. However, I am aware that I am 24 years old and have a lot of life to live ahead of me. So that may change as I continue to grow and learn in this industry.


What has been your most memorable moment on the job?

There have been a lot of really amazing moments in the last couple years. However, the most memorable has to be the Ohio State vs. Dayton Volleyball match we hosted earlier this season. We spent months planning for this huge match. It turned into one of those nights that I won’t ever forget. We broke an attendance record at the Frericks Center and the Flyers came out of the match with a huge win heading in conference play!


Share one funny moment or story from game day.

Every week at work, we have someone bring in breakfast for everyone (It is every Friday and is called FINALLY FRIDAY. It’s a big deal). The first time I was assigned to bring in breakfast, I really wanted to make a good impression. So I woke up extra early to bake breakfast. Long story short, I almost burned my apartment down while trying to make breakfast. In a moment of panic and wanting to make a strong impression with a baller breakfast, I decided the only option was to head to McDonald’s and get breakfast sandwiches and hash browns. Well, when you are buying enough food for 3 dozen people, that quickly adds up. I won’t say what the final bill was, but it was not cheap. After my co-workers found out, they graciously helped me out a little bit to offset the absurd cost of 36 McDonald’s Breakfast sandwiches and hash browns. They do, however, remind me weekly about “That time I got McDonald’s for everyone.” I am so thankful for such great coworkers and the very valuable lesson I learned that day… when in doubt, just buy donuts. Everyone loves donuts.


If you weren’t working in college athletics, what would you be doing?

I would be a MP (Military Police Officer) in the United States Army. My dad served 30 years’ active duty in the Army and I always wanted to serve just like him. When we lived at Fort Leavenworth, the MP’s would always come by and give us Kansas City Royals baseball cards when they talked with us. I always thought that was so cool and wanted to be just like them when I grew up.


Adrienne Ross-Green, Director of Marketing and Game Operations, University of Dayton, on Ryan:

'Ryan is one of the hardest working people I’ve ever met in this industry, and I’ve been here for 10 years now. His unrelenting passion and curiosity for trying new things and thinking outside the box make him an incredible and indispensable asset to our team. Our coaches love to work with him, and I’m so thankful that he is a part our of team. Congrats on this well-deserved recognition Ryan! We’re so proud of you!'

 

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