By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech Athletics, especially Golden Eagle football, meant the world to Ottis Phillips. After all, he was a four-year letterwinner for head coach Don Wade from 1969 to 1972, helping Tech football earn the Ohio Valley Conference championship in 1972 and a berth in the Grantland Rice Bowl.
After those years, Phillips became a successful businessman, civic leader and a tremendous friend to Tennessee Tech Athletics, even working with the program's efforts to overhaul Tucker Stadium and create the Football Operations Center on campus. This past November, he was inducted into the Tech Sports Hall of Fame.
Phillips, 71, passed away suddenly on Tuesday, leaving the Tech Department of Athletics mourning one of its closest friends and supporters.
A celebration of Phillips' life will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at Cumberland First Presbyterian Church on 10th Street in Cookeville, officiated by Dr. Charles McCaskey and Rev. Christian Smith. The family will receive friends that morning at 10 a.m. until the service begins.
Phillips is survived by his wife of 42 years, Cindy Gray Phillips; daughters, Kristie Phillips, Mary Beth (Blake) Herron, and Emily Phillips Rains all of Cookeville; sons, Parker (Shannon) Phillips of Brentwood and Hunter (Dallas) Phillips of Nashville; sister, Pat Doughty of Cookeville; grandchildren, Caden Herron, Leigha Herron, Jack Rains, Lyndon Katherine Rains, Reagan Phillips and Emerson Phillips.
In addition to his parents – Ottis Hansel Phillips Sr. and Pauline Valentine Clark Phillips – he is preceded in death by his son-in-law, Steve Rains; and brother, Mike Doughty.
Serving as honorary pallbearers will be the Cookeville Cavalier 1965-68 football teams and the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagle 1969-72 football teams.
In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the Tennessee Tech Football Operations Center, TTU Box 5057, Cookeville, Tenn., 38505 or to the Rains Foundation, P.O. Box 127, Cookeville, Tenn., 38503.
Cookeville has always been an important place for Phillips – after all, it was home. Growing up in the community, he graduated from Putnam County Senior High School in 1969 and joined the Golden Eagle football team as a walk-on.
He continued to work, earning an athletic scholarship and time as a tailback, halfback and fullback. In all, Phillips rushed 103 times and collected 380 total yards and three touchdowns. He was caught behind the line of scrimmage just once for a one-yard loss. Phillips ended his Tech career with 452 all-purpose yards as part of one of the most storied teams in Tennessee Tech Athletics history.
In the final two seasons of his collegiate career, the Golden Eagles went 18-4 overall and 12-2 in OVC play.
After his football playing days were over, Phillips completed his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1974, then his master's in business administration in 1978. He worked for Fleetguard, where he was awarded a patent for a diesel filter that he helped develop. Phillips also worked for the Adolf Coors Co. in Golden, Colo., and Willowtree Distributing in Dallas.
Those positions led to an opportunity to come home to Cookeville in 1990 as he became the general manager for SEC Enterprises. Through his dedication and hard work, Phillips was able to purchase the business five years later. Following additional acquisitions and mergers, SEC/MidSouth was a $40 million annual sales revenue company.
Phillips later sold that company to Knoxville-based Cherokee Distributing. He then became the CEO of Progressive Financial Group – which was sold to SmartFinancial in 2019 and joined its Board of Directors.
In that same year in 1990, he returned to Cookeville, Phillips' commitment to his alma mater and community shined as he helped establish the Golden Eagle Football Alumni Reunion Weekend and Golf Classic, the program's largest fundraiser which continues to this day. His company sponsored – and continues to sponsor – the event, as well as being one of the original sponsors of the Golden Eagle Scramble, Tech Athletics' largest annual fundraiser.
His love for the game, Cookeville and Tennessee Tech led him to serve on the initial steering committee in 2008 that brought the TSSAA's BlueCross Bowl to Tucker Stadium through 2020.
He earned the 2013 Outstanding Athletics Alumni Award as well as the University's Outstanding Philanthropy Award in 2018. He also served as the chairman of the Cookeville-Putnam County Chamber of Commerce and president of the Cavalier Foundation, supporting Cookeville High School.
Phillips also served as a co-chair of the committee currently raising $15 million to create and ensure sustained success for the future of Tech football program, focusing on the planned Football Operations Center. He has been one of Tech Athletics' largest donors annually as well as lifetime.
Phillips was the chair of the TTU Foundation Board of Directors and also served on the TTU Sports Hall of Fame selection committee.
When his own name was brought up for recognition in the Hall of Fame, he was modest about his performance on the team, but strong recommendations from teammates, administrators and supporters convinced him to accept the election.
He was inducted on Homecoming weekend this past November – not just for his performance on the football field, but the years of service Phillips had provided to Tennessee Tech in so many ways. It is a legacy he has helped build and will continue to bear fruit for years to come.
