ACC hires Northwestern AD Jim Phillips as next commissioner

By Joe Giglio, WRALSportsFan

The ACC has hired Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips to be its next commissioner.

Phillips has been the AD at Northwestern since 2008 and was one of the finalists for the Big Ten commissioner job last year. Phillips will replace current ACC commissioner John Swofford.

Yahoo! Sports was the first to report the news on Monday. Phillips will take over for Swofford in February.

Swofford, who announced his retirement in June, has served as the ACC commissioner since 1997. Phillips will be the fifth ACC commissioner and first who didn’t either graduate from an ACC school or work as an AD at an ACC school.

With overwhelming gratitude to ACC Board of Directors chair Kent Syverud, search advisory committee co-chairs Nathan Hatch and Fr. John Jenkins, and the Conference’s 15 member institutions, I accept this humbling invitation to lead the Atlantic Coast Conference,” Phillips said in a statement released by the conference on Monday.

“... My career has been dedicated to the development and betterment of student-athletes, and I am thrilled for this once-in-a-lifetime chance to guide one of the most prestigious and accomplished athletic organizations in the world.”

Phillips has spent most of his career in the Midwest and Big Ten. He graduated from Illinois in 1990 and he was the AD at Northern Illinois before he was hired by Northwestern.

One of Phillips’ connections to the ACC is through Duke AD Kevin White. Phillips worked for White at both Arizona State and Notre Dame.

Phillips has served on various NCAA boards and selections committees during his tenure at Northwestern including the NCAA Board of Directors Board of and Board of Governors and the NCAA Men's Basketball Oversight Committee. Twice he has been named the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Athletic Director of the Year in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

“Jim is one of the most talented athletic administrators in the country and uniquely qualified to successfully and seamlessly take over the helm of the ACC,” Syverud said in a statement released by the ACC. “Over the course of nearly 13 years, Jim has elevated and cemented Northwestern’s position as an outstanding Power 5 athletics program. Northwestern’s ascension in the world of intercollegiate athletics is a testament to Jim’s vision, leadership and foundational dedication to the success of student-athletes. The ACC is fortunate to have someone of Jim’s caliber and integrity lead the conference at this pivotal moment in intercollegiate athletics.”