GRAND JUNCTION — Retirement has given Steve Phillips ample time to pursue both of his passions.
Instead of sitting at his desk as School District 51’s athletic director, stepping down from the job allows Phillips to work on his golf game this summer and fall.

When it comes to passing time in the winter, Phillips found an answer as well. Rather than sitting at home watching basketball, he’ll be prowling the sideline as Palisade High School’s boys basketball coach.

“It’s something I can do in the wintertime and something that I’m passionate about. I still have a lot to offer I think,” Phillips said of accepting the position left open by the resignation of Keenan Clement at the completion of the 2007-08 season.

Coaching basketball is a task for which Phillips is well suited.

Prior his four-year stint as the school district’s athletic director, Phillips was the head boys coach at Central High School for 16 years. In that span he fashioned a .644 winning percentage (241-134), which includes capturing the 1989-90 Class 4A state title.

While “it’s a different game,” Phillips noted of the style of today’s high school game from the 1980s and 90s, basketball hasn’t changed that much.

“For me it will be the same game. There’s not a shot clock or those kinds of things,” he said.

“There’s a few little tweaks with rules and physical play in the post. But, in turn of things we’ll try to do, will be the things we were successful in (at) other places. We’ll manage the clock as much as possible and we’ll go out and have some fun. To me the Xs and Os haven’t changed that much. I think it’s just a matter of the execution part.”

A key part of a team’s success, Phillips added, is a willingness to play defense.

“Fundamentally, what I’ve watched in the stands, I think it still can be done,” he said.
“Kids are still willing to do that as long as they pay the price at that end the offense will come. That’s got to be up to them. I’m just here to facilitate this with whoever our coaching staff will be and help put them in the right spots. The attitude (to play defense) has to come out of team leadership.”

So far as putting together a coaching staff, Phillips already has one assistant on board.

“ I just got off the phone with Brian Hayden. He’s excited about coming back and helping us again. His schedule will allow him to remain with the freshmen probably,” said Phillips.

With the slew of telephone calls he’s received since taking the Palisade job, the rest of the staff should jell quickly.

“I’ve had a lot of contacts and phone calls from ex-players this morning and other people that are pretty excited about it as well,” he said. “It’s a team effort and we’ll just have to find somebody who can fit in and work with kids and get it going in the right direction.”