Washington State University

"For starters… when I was a freshman we were told to lie to the recruits and not tell them how things truly were to make them want to come play for him. I was sick when I heard that because the experience was NOTHING like what my host told me when I was on a visit. I was always truthful because I’d never want someone to be lied to the way I was. At one point he told me that since you can’t kick off players on the team that he PURPOSELY makes their experience miserable so they make the decision on their own to leave. Imagine working your whole life to experience a coach like this. Once I got injured he did that to me once I was healed. He blew through my red shirt eligibility on purpose by putting me in a game for less than 2 minutes. It’s so messed up. I wish that they would have been straight forward so then I would have gone somewhere else. Unless you were his favorite he paid no attention to you. You would be considered a “practice player” with no chance to get to the starting roster. If a practice player made one mistake in a game they would be taken off but if his favorites made mistakes They would get 100 chances. Not to mention one of his favorites got in legal trouble and if it were ANYONE else they would have been kicked off the team in two seconds. At the beginning of the season he stated that if there’s anything like that then you would be kicked off. But clearly you could get away with anything if you were a favorite. If that doesn’t show you favoritism idk what does. I know the sport is about competition to get playing time but having standard for only a select few when others are doing everything they can to not even get looked at is crazy. Since he had favorites it caused a lot of drama on the team. I have never experienced such a toxic environment in my life. The worst team culture imaginable. If I would have known what he truly was like as a coach I would have never wasted my time. It ruined something I worked my whole life. I loved the campus. I loved the other coaches that were there at the time. The dynamic would have been entirely different if he wasn’t the coach. I know he doesn’t coach for wsu anymore but do your research before playing for him. If you want to love the game I’d highly suggest avoiding playing at his program at all costs unless you want to have to go to therapy afterwards. "

"Impressed with follow through and commitment to player development. Honest even when the news is uncomfortable and puts the power in the player to correct things. One of very few coaches that meant what he said and was consistent throughout the year. Created a culture of winning, hard work, team pride. "

"Great coach! Followed thru on everything promised. My daughter loved her experience. "

"Dishonest, selfish, ambitious "

"My experience as an athlete under Coach Phipps was unfortunately very disappointing. Communication was a consistent issue, emails and texts often went unanswered, and follow-through on commitments was lacking. While he expressed that he cared about his athletes, his actions frequently suggested otherwise. Coach Phipps exercises a high degree of control over the program, often to the point of micromanagement, leaving little to no autonomy for assistant coaches. When approached with difficult questions or concerns, he would often avoid direct engagement, which made it challenging to resolve important issues. There was also a noticeable disparity in how athletes were treated; favoritism was evident, and those who were not top performers received minimal attention or support. This is particularly unfortunate given that the rest of the coaching and support staff are exceptional. It’s a shame that their efforts are overshadowed by the program's leadership dynamics. I would advise prospective athletes to carefully consider whether this environment aligns with their goals and values. "