Upper Iowa University Athletics

Ryan Phillips (2007,'11) was inducted into the Upper Iowa University Athletics Hall of Fame as an athlete. Phillips earned Upper Iowa's first individual national championship at the NCAA Division II level in 2007.

The Burlington, Iowa native claimed All-Ame rican and Northern Sun Conference Wrestler of the Year honors after finishing his perfect run at the 2007 NCAA Division II Championships. Phillips won his four matches by a combined score of 43 to 6. Phillips performance was even more impressive as he did not surrender an offensive point throughout the championship. The 197-pounder closed his collegiate career with a 16-match win streak that included the titles at both the regional and national tournaments.

Phillips spent one year as an athlete with the Peacocks, but joined the coaching staff following his championship season for six years as the top assistant for Head Coach Heath Grimm. In 2013, Phillips moved to Kansas and took over as the head wrestling coach at Labette Community College. He spent three years with the Cardinals and was named the NJCAA West/Central Regional Coach of the Year in 2015. Phillips returned to Iowa in the fall of 2015 when he was named the head wrestling coach for the West Burlington-Notre Dame/Danville program. Last year, he landed in Cedar Rapids at Jefferson High School as the head wrestling coach for the J-Hawks.

Phillips graduated from Upper Iowa twice with a Bachelor's degree in physical education from UIU in 2007 and then earned a Master's degree in education/instructional classroom in 2011. He and his wife, Tiffany (2012), have a son, Ayce.