Katherine "Katy" Phillips has joined Shady Side Academy as assistant director of athletics and head coach of the varsity girls' lacrosse team, effective Jan. 8, 2018.

In her full-time administrative role, Phillips will assist Director of Athletics Gene Deal in the supervision of all athletic programs at the Senior School, continuing the development and growth of a forward-thinking athletic program for boys and girls from middle school, to junior varsity, to varsity/prep levels. She will also serve as the primary liaison between the Athletic Department and the College Counseling Office, advising coaches, students and parents through the college recruiting process. She also takes the helm of a varsity girls lacrosse program that competes in WPIAL Class AAA and has made the WPIAL playoffs eight of the last nine years. Last year's team finished 13-4 overall.

Phillips comes to SSA from Robert Morris University, where she served as head coach of RMU's NCAA Division I lacrosse program from 2003-2017. She built the Colonials' program from the ground up, taking a team that finished winless in its first season to one that made the Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament five of the last seven years. She was named NEC Coach of the Year in 2011. Phillips is also the owner and director of staff development and recruiting for Pittsburgh Premier Lacrosse Club, an elite club program for middle and high school girls, and the owner and women's program director for 3 Rivers Lacrosse. She is a 1998 graduate of the University of New Hampshire, where she played Division I lacrosse and earned a B.S. in marine and freshwater biology. She earned an M.B.A. with a concentration in sport management from Robert Morris University in 2010.

"I am incredibly honored to accept the assistant athletic director position at Shady Side Academy," said Phillips. "I would like to thank President Tom Cangiano, Head of School Sophie Lau and Athletic Director Gene Deal for this incredible opportunity. I am excited to have the chance to mentor coaches and student-athletes in my new role and to continue building successful teams that represent Shady Side Academy.