Bio

Jeannette Phillips is entering her ninth year as the head coach of the Tennessee Tech volleyball team in 2024 after being named the eighth leader in program history in December 2017.

The sixth campaign under Phillips' direction saw the 2023 squad overcome a sluggish start to OVC play, one that saw Tech facing an uphill battle halfway through with a 2-9 mark. The Golden Eagles soared to the finish line, winning each of their final seven matches of the regular season to secure a 9-9 OVC record and the No. 6 seed in the league's postseason tournament. Tech secured 13 or more wins for the third straight season, a first since 1997, 1998, and 1999. The Golden Eagles also tallied at least nine league wins for a program-record fifth consecutive season. 

For the first time in school history, the Golden Eagles secured three or more All-OVC First or Second Teamers for a third consecutive year. Senior middle blocker Skylar Boom and junior outside hitter Madolyn Isringhausen each earned All-OVC First Team honors, Isringhausen's second straight such nod and the third overall honor from the league. Sophomore setter Jordan Karlen locked down All-OVC Second Team recognition despite battling through injury during the season.

Phillips' fifth season in charge in Cookeville saw the Tech program continue its rise under her watch, posting the most regular season wins (17) and OVC wins (14) since 2008 for the second straight season. At 14-4 overall in OVC play, the Golden Eagles finished the season second in the final league standings, marking another trip to the OVC Tournament. Throughout the year, Tech won a program-record 10 straight league matches, representing the second-longest winning streak in school history and the longest since 1983. Additionally, the purple and gold swept Morehead State in the season series for the first time since 2014 and picked up just the fourth and fifth wins at Southeast Missouri in program history, securing the school's first-ever series sweep of the Redhawks.

For the first time since 2008, the Golden Eagles had four members earn All-OVC accolades, led by rookie sensation Jordan Karlen, who became the first player in league history to earn both OVC Setter of the Year and OVC Freshman of the Year in the same season. The first Golden Eagle ever to win Setter of the Year, the rookie was one of three Tech players named to the All-OVC First Team. She was joined by senior middle blocker Taylor Dorsey, who earned her third-straight First-Team honor, and sophomore outside hitter Madolyn Isringhausen. Junior middle blocker Skylar Boom picked up her second consecutive All-OVC Second Team accolade as well.

During her fourth season at the helm of the program, the Golden Eagles returned to the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament, tying for fourth in the regular season standings after turning in the most total wins (16) and league wins (11) since the 2008 championship squad. The team was led by a trio of All-OVC selections (a first for the team since 2008), with returning junior middle blocker Taylor Dorsey and senior setter Ashley Hand earning First Team honors and returning freshman outside hitter Madolyn Isringhausen picking up Second Team accolades.

The 2022 squad turned in its first 4-0 start to OVC play since 1993 and set the program record for team blocks in a match with a whopping 22.0 at Morehead State. 

The 2020-21 season provided several challenges across the NCAA landscape, and in the OVC in particular, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The league opted to postpone play to the spring while limiting teams to an OVC-only schedule, reducing the overall competitive season to just 16 matches overall. Student-athletes were also required to wear masks while in competition as well, just one of several protocols adopted for the protection of the players. 

Despite the challenges, Tech turned in a 9-7 mark in league action, finishing sixth in the final standings, typically good enough for a berth into the OVC Tournament. However, the league opted to reduce the field to just four teams because of the shortened season and COVID-19 protocols. Junior Taylor Dorsey turned in a breakout year under Phillips' guidance, garnering All-OVC First Team accolades while establishing herself as the top middle blocker in the league.

Year two of the Phillips regime saw a significant improvement in OVC play, winning four more games to tie for fifth place overall. Tech earned a spot in the 2019 OVC Tournament behind a 9-7 league mark, and 13-17 overall finish, the program's first postseason bid since the 2015 season. The Golden Eagles were led by a duo of All-OVC candidates during the campaign, including First-Team recipient Ali Verzani and Second-Team honoree Taylor Dorsey. 

It was an immediate impact for the Golden Eagles by Phillips and her staff in Cookeville in 2018, leading the purple and gold to a seven-win improvement in her first season in the Eblen Center. Tech turned in an 11-19 mark overall and 5-11 finish in league play, but saw significant strides from a competitive standpoint. JUCO transfer Ali Verzani and senior Rachel Thomas led the charge in the first year of the team's new culture.

Prior to taking the helm of the Golden Eagle program, Phillips served for four months at Missouri State University as the Lady Bears’ assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. Phillips helped lead Missouri State to one of its most successful seasons in program history, including the 2017 Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament titles and the program’s first-ever undefeated season in conference play. The Lady Bears made their 13th NCAA Tournament appearance and ended the 2017 season with a 28-6 record with Phillips on staff, achieving a No. 25 ranking in the AVCA Division I Coaches top-25 poll multiple times throughout the year.

Before arriving at Missouri State, Phillips coached spent three seasons on the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay staff as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator before a promotion to associate head coach following the 2016 campaign. She helped turn around a Green Bay program that won five matches her first year in 2014 to a 21-9 record and No. 75 RPI ranking her third season in 2016.

She coached one Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year and one AVCA All-Region selection while with the Phoneix. Green Bay appeared in the Horizon League tournament in 2015 and 2016 and reached the 2016 tournament championship for the first time since 2003 as well.

Prior to Green Bay, Phillips worked for two seasons at OVC rival Belmont University as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. The Bruins won the OVC Tournament and earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2012, Phillips’ first year at Belmont and the program’s first year in the conference. They also reached the conference tournament in 2013.

The Topeka, Kan. native got her start on a Division I staff as a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Minnesota, where she worked with the 2010 Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year and helped the Gophers advance to the NCAA Regional Semifinals/Sweet 16 in 2011.

Her coaching career began as an assistant at Benedictine College from 2008-11. She also served as the head coach of the junior varsity team at Benedictine College. During her time with the Ravens, she helped the program finish second in the Heart of America conference. While Phillips was with Benedictine, she served as head coach for a year with Team KC Volleyball Club.

She also led the Sandshark Volleyball Club to victory in the Won Gold Heart Challenge and top finishes in the Power League and Omaha National Qualifier.

Phillips was a four-year letterwinner at William Jewell College, a Division II program in Liberty, Mo., from 2002 to 2006. She played as a defensive specialist for the Cardinals, serving as team captain during her junior and senior seasons. Phillips graduated from William Jewell in May 2006 with a bachelor of arts in organizational communication and earned her education certification from Avila University in December 2010. She earned her master's in professional studies in December 2020, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a certificate in strategic leadership.

The former Jeannette Waldo was married in November 2021 and resides in Cookeville with her husband Levi.