Three-time All-PSAC defensive lineman Joe Phillips joined the coaching staff at Slippery Rock prior to the 2017 season after finishing his career at The Rock in 2016.
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Phillips coached The Rock’s defensive line in 2017 that featured All-American Marcus Martin, who had one of the most historic seasons by a defensive lineman in Division II history in 2017 as the senior end was named the PSAC West Defensive Player of the Year for a third consecutive season, the Conference Commissioner's Association Defensive Player of the Year as well as the Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year in addition to being the first Division II player to ever be named one of the five finalists for the Ted Hendricks Award as the best defensive end in all of college football.
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Phillips was also responsible for the mentoring of a defensive line unit that featured nine underclassmen. SRU’s defensive line accounted for 22.5 of the team’s 27 sacks and 54 of its 88 tackles for loss.
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Phillips, who earned a bachelor's degree in public health from SRU in 2017, was a two-time first team All-PSAC selection and was named to the second team as a sophomore after transferring in from the Citadel after his freshman year.
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A first team all-region selection as a junior, Phillips finished his three-year Rock career with 86 total tackles, including 29.0 tackles for loss and 15.0 sacks. He also recorded three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
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A native of Washington, Pennsylvania, Phillips will work with the defensive line in his second season on the coaching staff and will also serve as the assistant strength and conditioning coach after receiving his certification prior to the 2018 season.
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