Michael Phipps joined the Georgetown University men’s lacrosse staff as an assistant in August of 2017 and was promoted to Associate Head Coach in February of 2021. He came to the Hilltop after spending the previous three seasons as an assistant coach at Navy.
Regarded as one of the top offensive minds in the game, Phipps has guided an offense that has produced nine All-Americans in his four seasons on the Hilltop and set multiple Georgetown records while winning back-to-back BIG EAST Championships.
Under Phipps’ tutelage in 2021, the Hoyas were ranked third in the NCAA with 9.56 assist per game, fourth in scoring margin at +4.81 and seventh in points per game with 22.69. Georgetown posted double-digit assists in eight games, including two consecutive games where every goal was assisted (20 at St. John’s (4/4/21), 10 at Marquette (4/10/21). He guided Jake Carraway to break Georgetown’s all-time points and goals records, en route to a Tewaaraton Finalist campaign, while rookie TJ Haley led the NCAA in assists with 49 (3.27 apg) and was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year.
During the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, Phipps’ offense averaged 16.5 goals per game and 9.83 assists per game to rank seventh in the NCAA in both categories. The Hoyas led the nation in scoring margin at dominant +10.17 clip and his man-up offense scored at a .692 rate – second best in the country. Carraway became just the third player in program history to eclipse 200 career points while he and fellow attackman Dylan Watson each averaged 3.83 goals per game to rank ninth among all Division I players.
In 2019, the Hoyas tallied 254 goals on the season and scored in double-digits in 16 of 18 games. Daniel Bucaro broke the single season (61) and career goal records (153) while Carraway tied the single season points record with 88 (57G, 31A). Both were named USILA All-Americans, along with Lucas Wittenberg with 60 points (23G, 37A). Bucaro was named the BIG EAST Attack Player of the Year while Carraway and Wittenberg were both tabbed First Team All-BIG EAST. Additionally, Wittenberg set the Georgetown single game assists record with eight in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Championship. In all, eight different Hoyas had at least 10 goals on the year.
In 2018, Phipps guided an offense that produced four different 20/20 players for the first time in program history. Carraway (44G, 20A) and Bucaro (34G, 21A) put their marks in the single-season record books while Bucaro and Craig Berge (23G, 24A) garnered USILA All-America honors. In addition, Wittenberg (23G, 20A) collected All-BIG EAST accolades while Matt Behrens, Robert Clark and Austin McDonald all tallied double-digit goals on the year.
Prior to his time on the Hilltop, Navy's offense flourished under the tutelage of Phipps since his arrival in the 2015 season. The midshipmen averaged 15.21 points per game in 2017, a program-best since the 2007 season. Navy earned a share of the Patriot League regular season championships in both 2105 and 2016 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament in 2016.
Before his time in Annapolis, Phipps spent three seasons as an assistant coach at High Point. In addition to his offensive duties, Phipps also helped develop the Panthers goalies and guided Austin Geisler to finish the 2014 season ranked second nationally in saves per game (13.63) and fifth in save percentage (59.2). High Point won a share of the Atlantic Sun Conference regular season championship during his final season at HPU.
Phipps also spent two seasons as the offensive coordinator at Severn School and spent the 2008 season as the Director of Lacrosse Operations at his alma mater, the University of Maryland.
Phipps was a standout at Maryland, garnering Honorable Mention All-America honors as a senior in 2007 and was the recipient of the Van Trump Award honoring the team's best attackman. He amassed 95 points (48G,47A) over his career including a team-high 50 points as a senior. Phipps would go on to play professionally in Major League Lacrosse from 2008-10 with the Los Angeles Riptide and Chesapeake Bayhawks.
Phipps and his wife, Maggie, reside in Annapolis with their daughters Finley and Emmy.
