Utah Valley University men’s basketball head coach Todd Phillips has signed a two-year contract extension, keeping him at the helm of the Wolverine program through the 2027-28 season. Phillips’ previous contract was set to expire following the 2025-26 campaign.
“Coach Phillips has built a championship culture both on and off the court, demonstrating exceptional leadership that resonates throughout our program,” said Utah Valley athletic director Jared Sumsion. “We are thrilled to extend Todd’s contract and solidify his leadership at UVU.” “He has established a tradition of success and winning, and we look forward to continued success and competing for league titles and NCAA and postseason tournament appearances under his guidance.”
Phillips holds a 41-25 overall record in his first two seasons with Utah Valley, including an impressive 26-10 mark in Western Athletic Conference (WAC) play. This represents the most wins by a UVU head coach in his first two seasons in program history. This past season, Phillips led UVU to a 25-9 record, a dominant 15-1 mark in league play, and the outright WAC regular-season championship—the program’s fourth overall and second outright title.
The Wolverines earned the No. 1 seed in the 2025 WAC Tournament and advanced to their first-ever championship game before falling to Grand Canyon. Phillips guided UVU to its third-ever appearance in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), concluding the season ranked No. 19 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 poll.
For his efforts this past season, Phillips was named a finalist for the prestigious Hugh Durham Award, given annually to the nation’s top mid-major head coach. Under his leadership, UVU dominated the WAC postseason honors, with Phillips also earning WAC Coach of the Year recognition. Dominick Nelson (WAC Player of the Year, All-WAC First Team), Carter Welling (WAC Defensive Player of the Year, All-WAC Second Team, WAC All-Defensive Team), Tanner Toolson (All-WAC Second Team), and Jackson Holcombe (WAC All-Freshman Team) also earned honors.
Under Phillips’ direction, UVU was one of the nation’s top defensive teams, ranking fifth nationally in blocks per game (5.6), 25th in defensive rebounds per game (27.35), and 41st in rebounds per game (38.21). Offensively, the Wolverines led the WAC in field goal percentage (46.8%), assists per game (15.6), and rebound margin (+4.9).
In 2024-25, Utah Valley also made history at the UCCU Center, finishing the season undefeated at home (12-0) for the first time. The Wolverines hold the eighth-longest active home win streak in the nation. Key home victories included wins over UTEP, Grand Canyon, California Baptist, UT Arlington, and a historic 100-59 triumph over in-state rival Southern Utah.
“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to continue leading the Utah Valley men’s basketball program,” Phillips said. “We have something truly special here, and I appreciate the incredible support from Dr. Sumsion, VP Val Paterson, our biggest fan President Tuminez, and the Wolverine community. I’m excited about our future and committed to building on our recent successes, competing for championships, and continuing to develop student-athletes who excel both on the court and beyond. My family and I love being a part of UVU and look forward to more great moments ahead.”
Phillips initially joined UVU’s coaching staff in 2019, serving two years as an assistant coach and two years as associate head coach before taking over as head coach in 2023. He previously spent eight seasons as head coach at Salt Lake Community College, winning the NJCAA National Championship in 2016.
