by Cory Woodroof | May 19, 2013 | News Slider, Sports
Lipscomb formally introduced Casey Alexander to the community as the new coach of the men’s basketball team Sunday afternoon at the Ezell Center. The university officially confirmed Alexander’s hire Saturday evening. Alexander was a former Belmont Bruin player and coach who has spent the past two seasons coaching at Stetson. Lipscomb Athletic Director Philip Hutcheson kicked off the event, talking about the process of hiring a coach. Hutcheson said that when looking for a coach, “what we care about here is excellence, and what we care about are people who are connected and committed to what the mission of Lipscomb is about.” The selection committee, consisting of Hutcheson, Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Student Life Scott McDowell and women’s basketball coach Greg Brown, interviewed a number of candidates who were interested in the vacant position. Former coach Scott Sanderson resigned in April. Hutcheson praised the quality of the candidate that applied for the job, but said that the committee decided that Alexander was the best for the program. “There was one guy whose name rose to the top, and he contacted me very early on about the job and said he was interested,” Hutcheson said. Hutcheson said he had conversations with people close to both Lipscomb and Alexander who reassured him of what a good coach and person Alexander was. In an early conversation with Alexander, Hutcheson said he was impressed with the candidate’s vision for the school after being asked why he was interested in the coaching position. “[Alexander] said ‘I want to be at a place that still values the Christian mission that Lipscomb...
by Brianne Welch | Feb 27, 2013 | News Slider, Sports
Law school, professional basketball — or more likely both — are the career choices facing senior basketball player Hannah Phillips. Phillips, enjoying her fourth year as a Lady Bison, continues to make her mark on the hardwood. She scored her 1,000th career point a couple of weeks ago — making her just the fifth player in Lady Bison history to reach that milestone — and she’s got weeks to add onto that total before hanging it up. Phillips downplays her own achievement to point to another Lady Bison who reached the 1,000-point mark: Beth Stark, who was also Phillips’ AAU coach. “She scored around 3,000-something points,” Phillips said. “Now, that’s an achievement.” Phillips said she’s thrilled with reaching such a milestone, but it was not a goal she had ever set for herself. “The ballplayer I am now, and what I was freshman year, are two different players,” she said. “I loved defense, and my dad always coached me that my defense would create offense.” Phillips began playing basketball when she was 5 in YMCA rec leagues. “My family still has the game film from when I was 5. It’s pretty hilarious,” she said. That 5-year-old continued to hone her skills for years until she was recruited by Lipscomb. Phillips was looking at Division II, Division III and Ivy League schools, but they did not offer full rides. “When a DI full ride scholarship was offered, I took it,” she said. “[The scholarship] turned out to be a blessing because my family has been at every game.” “I really flourished as a player in this environment,” Phillips said. During...
by Brianne Welch | Oct 4, 2012 | Sports
Greg Brown, former student coach under Don Meyer, came back to Lipscomb this year, only this time as a head coach. Brown was a graduate assistant and then assistant coach under Pat Summitt at the University of Tennessee and was then an assistant coach at the University of Central Florida before returning to his alma mater, Lipscomb. “The environment and the culture are the two biggest draws,” Brown said, talking about his return to Lipscomb. Brown said he strongly believes that Lipscomb and Nashville are a wonderful community that he is thankful to return to. He also mentioned how thankful he is to be able to send his two sons to a Christian school. Brown coached under Don Meyer, a legend not only to Lipscomb but to the basketball world, as well. Brown talked about the influence Meyer had on other legendary coaches. “As I went to Tennessee, I got to see his influence with Coach [Pat] Summitt and with Coach [Joi] Williams at UCF,” Brown said. Brown said he picked up many aspects of his coaching style from Coach Meyer. “Intensity and the team attitude, and the Greek word arete–that pursuit of excellence–is what I learned then [under Coach Meyer], and it starts to become more and more evident every day,” he said. One major thing Brown took away from coaching under Coach Summitt is “what it was like to compete at your highest level, individually, and then to compete at the highest level as in National Championships.” Brown said he is thankful for those experiences and said “that is what we are building Lipscomb towards.” Building the...
by Cory Woodroof | Aug 23, 2012 | News Slider, Sports
Lipscomb’s baseball, softball and women’s basketball programs have brought on new personnel to help coach their respective teams in preparation for their upcoming seasons. Baseball head coach Jeff Forehand announced the hiring of former MLB player Paul Phillips as an assistant coach, replacing Chris Collins, who accepted a job with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in June. Phillips is a veteran backstop, having played for the Colorado Rockies, the Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox during his 15 years in professional baseball. Having played in over 900 games, Phillips will end his time with the Las Vegas 51’s (of the Pacific Coast League) before joining the Bisons’ staff. Coach Forehand told athletics that he believes Phillips will be a great addition to the program. “The amount of knowledge and experience that Paul is going to bring to our team after 15 years in professional baseball and parts of seven seasons in the big leagues is huge,” Forehand said. “It will be a tremendous asset to not only our catchers but our pitchers and hitters as well. He’s going to be a great addition to our staff.” Phillips also seemed enthusiastic about being hired. “I’m really excited to start a new chapter in my life after 15 years of pro ball,” Phillips said. “Being able to stay at home with my family more so than I am now, being able to be in Nashville full time and being at Lipscomb is something that I’ve waited for, for a long time.” Phillips joins assistant coach Tyler Shrout. New women’s basketball Head Coach Greg Brown has hired Cara Hyatt as an...
by Cory Woodroof | May 18, 2012 | News Slider, Sports
Greg Brown was introduced as Lipscomb’s new head coach of the women’s basketball team Thursday afternoon in a press conference with Athletic Director Philip Hutcheson. Brown, a former associate women’s basketball coach with the University of Central Florida, replaces former coach Frank Bennett, who was promoted to associate athletic director earlier this year after 32 years of coaching the Lady Bisons. Before Brown spoke, Hutcheson shared some insight into the future of the Lady Bisons program, the hiring process and what Lipscomb looked for in a new coach. “At Lipscomb, we make a big point of being interested in what we call the four C’s,” Hutcheson said. “We want to excel in the classroom, in competition, in the community and in our Christian walk, and so when we’re looking for a coach, we’re interested in all of those things.” Hutcheson said he believes that Brown is the right man for the job. “As we looked for a coach, we did find several who embodied what we were looking for, but out of that came a guy in Greg Brown,” Hutcheson said. “[Brown] embodied all four of the characteristics we were looking for, and he has a background and a resume and experience that’s really unsurpassed.” Hutcheson said he believes that the women’s basketball program can be successful in the coming seasons. “I am firmly convinced there is no reason that Lipscomb women’s basketball cannot be great,” Hutcheson said. “We are in a great city, at a great place in a great city. Middle Tennessee is known for its women’s basketball. There is no shortage of talent in this area,...
