SUTTONS BAY — Noah Phillips always figured coaching was something he’d end up doing.
A broken ankle sped up that process.
The 2014 Traverse City St. Francis graduate played college basketball at Ave Maria University in Florida for two seasons before transferring to Grand Valley State, where that injury put him on the sidelines for the rest of his playing days. But that also gave him the opportunity to watch college coaching up close and take in what he could.
Just a few years later, he’s taking over the boys basketball program at Suttons Bay, with his head coaching debut Thursday, hosting the Traverse City Bulldogs at 7 p.m.
“I’m excited to be part of northern Michigan basketball again after being part of it as a player,” Phillips said.
The 6-foot-8 Phillips was a varsity assistant and middle school coach at TC St. Francis for the 2021-22 season. He started a job teaching middle school social studies and physical education at Suttons Bay last fall.
Phillips said breaking his ankle the first day of practice at GVSU sped up his interest in coaching. He also ruptured three ligaments and needed surgery that ended his competitive playing days. He received his teachers certification from Grand Valley in 2021.
“As soon as I knew I wanted to be a teacher,” Phillips said, “being a coach went hand-in-hand.”
Phillips said he’s reached out to Keith Haske multiple times since taking the job, taking about everything from drills to paperwork.
“Being able to give him a call and ask him questions has been great,” Phillips said. “There’s a lot of moving parts that I wasn’t as aware of as an assistant.”
Phillips succeeds Ron Anderson, who stepped down earlier this year after an 18-year run with the program, including the last 12 as varsity head coach. He won five district titles and one Northwest Conference championship in his time leading the Norsemen.
“We are very excited to have coach Phillips take the reins of the Suttons Bay basketball program,” Suttons Bay athletic director Jamie Hawkins said. “He brings a ton of energy to the gym and his experience playing college basketball brings a new perspective to our Suttons Bay student athletes. We are very pleased to have Noah on board and look forward to seeing his plan unfold for Suttons Bay basketball.”
The Norsemen go into the season with four seniors on the team — Finn Mankowski, Tyler Porter, Lucas Gordon and Dennis Anderson — along with eight juniors and two sophomores, coming off a 6-16 campaign.
Phillips said he plans to run an up-tempo game, applying pressure both on offense and defense.
St. Francis head coach Sean Finnegan said Phillips should fit right in.
“He’s a Gladiator,” Finnegan said. “He comes from a good pedigree and played for coach Haske.”
Finnegan said being younger will help him relate to the high schoolers he’ll be coaching.
“He brings good energy to the gym,” Finnegan said. “He’s in a good community that had a good leader. Noah has big shoes to fill, but he’s got that energy.”