Why Phillips decides to stay at NU

How does a fellow mute his alma mater's call? The place where he met his wife and began his adult life?

For Northwestern athletic director Jim Phillips, it was as simple as staying focused on the tasks at hand.

“My intent never wavered,” said Phillips, who became NU's athletic director in April 2008.

Phillips was rewarded Wednesday with a 10-year contract that stretches through 2020. The deal, which Northwestern initiated roughly six months ago, matches the length of football coach Pat Fitzgerald's contract.

“Jim Phillips is one of the most talented, energetic and hardworking persons I have ever met,” Northwestern president Morty Schapiro said in a statement.

In the days and weeks after Illinois athletic director Ron Guenther announced his retirement on May 16 — spurring conjecture that Phillips, a 1990 Illinois graduate might consider returning to Champaign — Phillips increased his usual breakneck pace on behalf of Northwestern.

Have you heard about NU's facilities master plan that Phillips launched in October?

Part of the plan called for Phillips and key staffers (from Northwestern as well as sports architecture firm Populous) to fly around the country in late May and early June researching other colleges' facilities.

During one three-day sprint made via private jet, Phillips and Co., evaluated eight BCS schools from six states and four major conferences.

When you're racing around like that, you're not entertaining a race for your affections.

“I feel a deep sense of loyalty to this place,” Phillips said. “I feel like we have unfinished business.”

That list includes securing the football team's first bowl win since Jan. 1, 1949 and the men's basketball team's first NCAA Tournament berth.

The facilities master plan, while designed to benefit all 19 varsity sports, figures to focus on football and basketball improvements.

Phillips expects to receive recommendations from Populous, a Kansas City-based architectural design firm, before summer ends.

Once NU sees the results and the price tags, Schapiro and the school's board of trustees can offer their views and approval.

Among the potential options:

Ÿ Building a football operations facility using the green space and/or parking lots adjacent to Lakeside Athletic Field and Henry Crown Sports Pavilion.

The football team's current facilities are located next to Ryan Field, which is 1.5 miles from the heart of NU's campus.

Ÿ Upgrading Ryan Field's facilities for the fans. The school redid much of the west side before the 1997 season, but other areas need repair.

Ÿ If football operations move to campus, then land comes available to raze Welsh-Ryan Arena and build a modern basketball venue.

Considering how well Schapiro, Phillips and football coach Pat Fitzgerald work together, the athletic department just might fulfill all of its wishes provided the fundraising works out.

Fitzgerald, speaking Thursday in Chicago, certainly endorsed Phillips' long-term stay.

“He lets us coach, so he doesn't micromanage us but he's right there in full support,” Fitzgerald said. “That's kind of our model. And with Morty as our president, they're going to do everything they can to help us. As a coach, that's all you can ask for.

“(Jim is) fair. He's a huge fan, which is kind of fun. Sometimes I've got to talk him off the ledge a little bit in the locker room after a game, but that's all right. “Hopefully I'll do my job a little better so we don't have to have those kind of conversations. I look forward to working with him for a long, long time.”

Ÿ Follow Willhite's reports via Twitter@WillhiteHerald, and check out his Joe Sports blog at dailyherald.com.