Youngstown State University Football Camps

Head Coach Doug Phillips

Doug Phillips, a native of nearby New Middletown, Ohio, is in his sixth season as the Head Football Coach at Youngstown State.

In 2024, the Guins saw the emergence of QB Beau Brungard and won a pair of home cliffhangers in overtime. Brungard was two yards rushing shy of a 2,000-yard passing and 1,000-yard rushing campaign. He helped engineer overtime wins over North Dakota at UNI at Stambaugh Stadium.

Brungard was named a first-team All-MVFC selection as an all-purpose player while wider receiver Max Tomczak was a first-team all-league pick at wide receiver following a 904-yard, 73-catch season. Tomczak finished ths season with more than 2,000 career yards. Punter Brendon Kilpatrick was tabbed the FCS Punter of the Year. Kilpatrick, long snapper Sam Merryman and offensive tackle Jaison Williams were third-team All-America selections.

Additionally, YSU led the FCS in net punting and time of possession.

In 2023, Phillips guided the Penguins to the FCS Playoffs for the first time since reaching the finals in 2016. The Guins finished with an 8-5 record, won five Missouri Valley Football Conference games for the second consecutive year and picked up a win in the opening round of the postseason.

Led by quarterback Mitch Davidson and a strong group of wide receivers, the Guins put up record-breaking offensive numbers during the 2023 campaign. YSU set the school record with six. YSU also set a new school record by scoring 30-or-more points in six straight games. The Penguins scored 28-plus points in all but two games.

Davidson set single-season records for yards, completions, attempts and completion percentage. Bryce Oliver broke the school record for career touchdown receptions finishing with 26 in three campaigns. The previous mark of 25 had stood since 1979. Defensively, YSU held nine opponents to 111-or-fewer yards rushing in a game throughout the year while allowing just 102.2 yards rushing per game. That marked the fewest rushing yards per game since 2012 and the second lowest since 1998.

YSU led the FCS in time of possession averaging 35:06 per game. The Guins finished ranked fourth in third-down conversions allowed (42), fourth in blocked punts (four), fifth in completion percentage (69.6 pct.), fifth in third-down percentage defense (29.4 pct.), sixth in net punting (41.24 ypa), 10th in first downs offense (271), 10th in passing efficiency (155.58), 10th in rushing defense (102.2 ypg) and 11th in fewest fumbles lost (four).

At Stambaugh Stadium, YSU posted a 6-1 record which included three MVFC wins and a postseason victory over Duquesne. The Guins won league road games at Murray State and Indiana State and won at least five conference in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2005 and 2006.

Four Penguins earned second-team All-MVFC honors as Oliver, Dylan Wudke, Williams, Tyshon King and Troy Jakubec were named all-conference. Additionally, the Guins had five honorable-mention All-MVFC honorees.

In 2022, YSU was in the playoff hunt until the final weekend of the season after a combined four wins in his first two seasons which were played in a span of just eight months. YSU was predicted to finish ninth out of 11 teams in the powerful MVFC. The Guins tied for third posting a 5-3 league record to go along with seven overall victories.

Leading the way on the field in 2022 was the dynamic and record-breaking running back, Jaleel McLaughlin.  McLaughlin rushed for 1,588 yards on the season and late in the year set the NCAA All-Division career rushing record. He was named the MVFC's Offensive Player of the Year, becoming the first YSU player to earn the award since 2006. As a team, YSU averaged 202.6 yards rushing per game marking the second consecutive year it averaged more than 200 per contest. 

Oliver, a first-team All-MVFC pick, finished the season with 59 catches for 821 yards and 10 touchdowns. The 10 receiving touchdowns were the most by a Penguin since 1983. Davidson led the Penguins to three memorable late-game, fourth-quarter comebacks against Western Illinois, Illinois State and Southern Illinois. Up front, center Mike McAllister was named second-team All-MVFC while Williams was an honorable-mention pick.

On defense, YSU was strong against the run allowing just 120 yards per game. On six occasions, the Guins surrendered less than 103 yards rushing in a game. The defensive line was one of top units in the Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2022. The Guins had three All-MVFC selections as Wudke (second team), James Jackson (honorable mention) and Chris Fitzgerald (honorable mention) all earned conference honors. 

McAllister and McLaughlin parlayed their YSU success into playing in the professional ranks. Both signed as undrafted free agents in May and eventually, McLaughlin earned a spot on the Broncos' 53-player roster. McAllister was added to the practice squad for the Los Angeles Rams after playing the entire preseason at center.

Phillips's first season was unlike any other in college football history. A little over a month after joining the program in February 2020, universities worldwide shutdown because the COVID-19 global pandemic. The Penguins were about to start spring ball and preparation for a normal fall 2020 campaign.

After working hard to get the Penguins back on campus over the summer and start fall camp in early August, the MVFC and the FCS moved most of their competitions until spring 2021. YSU was able to finally have spring ball, but this time in the fall. Finally on Feb. 21, 2021, more than over a year after he was named the head coach, Phillips was able to lead the Penguins on the field when they visited top-ranked North Dakota State.

In the spring season, YSU fans got a glimpse of what has made on of the top programs in the FCS. A young YSU program had the lead in six of seven games in the spring and every game was within one score at halftime. The schedule didn't do the Guins any favors as they play four teams who made the FCS playoffs. He picked up his first win as the Penguins' head coach on March 20, a 28-10 home triumph over South Dakota.

YSU had seven players earn All-Missouri Valley Football Conference accolades highlighted by first-team honoree Grant Dixon at linebacker. Dixon became the first YSU linebacker to be named first-team All-MVFC since 2007.

In his first fall campaign in 2021, the Guins played one of the toughest schedules in the country with seven of YSU's 10 opponents advancing to the postseason. YSU opened the campaign with a dramatic win over UIW at Stambaugh Stadium. Against one of the top offensive units in the country, the Guins rallied for a 44-41 overtime win. The program closed out the campaign with an impressive win at playoff participant Southern Illinois.

McLaughlin was named first-team All-MVFC and was one four Penguins to earn all-league status. McLaughlin was tabbed third-team All-American by numerous outlets for his stellar season.

Phillips previously coached at Youngstown State as a graduate assistant in 1991 and 1992 for current YSU President Jim Tressel. Phillips is just the eighth coach in school history dating back to 1938.  

Phillips spent three seasons on the University of Cincinnati football staff before being named the head coach at YSU on Feb. 7, 2020. He coached tight ends and served as UC's special teams coordinator in 2017 before shifting to the role of running backs coach in 2018.
 
A former head coach at Springfield Local and Salem High Schools, Phillips has nearly 25 years of football coaching experience, including six seasons at the FBS and FCS levels. He has coached in three National Championship games.
 
He returned to an on-field coaching role with the Bearcats after spending the 2016 season at Iowa State as the director of player personnel.

Phillips was a high school administrator from 2008-15, serving as a principal and superintendent, most recently as the superintendent at West Branch Local Schools in Beloit, Ohio. Phillips was also an assistant principal and principal for the Dickson County school district in Dickson, Tenn., and principal at Dalton Local Schools (outside of Canton, Ohio) from 2009-12.
 
He coached the defensive ends and served as Bowling Green's recruiting coordinator from 2007-08, helping the Falcons share the 2007 MAC East title and earn a bowl bid.
  
Phillips joined the Falcons' staff after spending a season as the defensive quality control coach under Tressel at Ohio State in 2006. That year the Buckeyes won the Big Ten championship, played in the BCS title game and ranked fifth in the country in scoring defense. On the field, he assisted with OSU linebackers including All-American and Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner James Laurinaitis.
 
He worked and coached for 15 years at the high school level, including nine as a head coach. Phillips served as head coach at Springfield Local High School (1997-2000) and Salem High School (2001-05), turning around both programs.
 
Phillips led his high school alma mater, Springfield Local, to back-to-back state playoff appearances. His 1999 team won the first of consecutive league championships and made the first of two playoff appearances, while his 2000 squad went undefeated in the regular season and returned to the postseason, where it reached the state quarterfinals. After four years at Springfield Local, Phillips moved onto Salem High School, where he spent five seasons and guided his teams to better records every season, culminating with a league runner-up finish in 2005. In addition, he guided the school to consecutive winning records for the first time in 30 years in 2004 and 2005.
 
Phillips received his start in college football at Youngstown State with Tressel from 1991-92. He coached tight ends, defensive backs and running backs/kickers during his stay. Under Tressel, Phillips coached in three National Championship games including 2006 at OSU and in 1992 and 1991 at YSU. The Penguins won the NCAA FCS title in 1991.
 
While an undergraduate student at Toledo, Phillips got his coaching career started at Toledo St. Francis DeSales and Sylvania Northview. After earning a bachelor's degree in education from UT in 1991, he received a master's degree in educational administration from Youngstown State in 1995.
 
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Born: February 29, 1968
Hometown: New Middletown, Ohio
Education: Toledo (1991, B.S.); Youngstown State (1995, M.S.) 

Phillips' Coaching Career

1989 - Sylvania Northview High School - Assistant Coach
1990 - Toledo St. Francis DeSales - Assistant Coach
1991-92: Youngstown State - Graduate Assistant
1993 - Struthers High School - Assistant Coach
1994 - Springfield Local High School - Assistant Coach
1997-2000: Springfield Local High School - Head Coach
2001-05: Salem HS - Head Coach
2006: Ohio State - Quality Control (Defense)
2007-08: Bowling Green - DE/Recruiting Coordinator
2016: Iowa State - Director of Player Personnel
2017: Cincinnati - Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends
2018-19: Cincinnati - Running Backs
2020-Present: Youngstown State - Head Coach

Postseason Appearances:
1991: Youngstown State (FCS Playoffs/NCAA Championships)
1992: Youngstown State (FCS Playoffs/NCAA Runners Up)
2006: Ohio State (BCS National Championship)
2008: Bowling Green - Humanitarian Bowl
2018: Cincinnati - Military Bowl
2019: Cincinnati – Birmingham Bowl
2023: Youngstown State (FCS Playoffs/NCAA Second Round)