Mansfield Senior Names Phillips As New Football Coach

Pending board approval, former Tyger David Phillips will be the next varsity head football coach at Mansfield Senior. Phillips is a 2004 graduate of Senior High and played football under Stan Jefferson and LeRoy Smith. He shined on the field running for over 2,900 yards during his career as a Tyger.

In addition to being a great player and student at Mansfield Senior, Phillips went on to spend 11 seasons as the running backs coach under one of the greatest coaches in school history, Chioke Bradley. Coach Phillips on what Chioke meant to him, “He was my mentor, he didn’t even know it at the time but I followed him and watched him.”

David was on the coaching staff under Coach Bradley during the undefeated 2013 season squad and also coached on the 2019 state runner-up team so winning games is in his DNA.

Phillips also has some unique experience at the varsity level already as he led the 2023 girls basketball program during their district tournament run as the interim head coach.

Most recently David has served as a middle school football and basketball coach helping building up an unstoppable run that saw the class go undefeated in both sports in back to back seasons which was a first in school history. Coach Phillips talked about how going from coaching the kids in middle school to now being their high school coach can lead to success, “The kids and parents know where I’m coming from, I’ve received a lot of parent support over the years and that’s huge moving forward. With that support, I know the community is going to back me up. Communities win championships, the kids may play and the coaches may coach but I have the community behind me and that’s big moving forward.”

Coach Phillips will take over for Antonio Fletcher who served as the team’s head coach in 2025. Despite the last two seasons where the team has struggled, there’s a lot of great young talent on this team that is waiting for their opportunity to shine and get Mansfield back up at the top of the Ohio Cardinal Conference standings. Phillips told us, “It means everything to be a Tyger, I went here, I played here, and I’ve coached multiple sports here as well. This place is a part of who I am. When you are Tyger through and through it means something here. “

Phillips said when asked about being a part of this school and community, “Our kids need the guidance and someone who can relate to them who has been through it already.”

Coach Phillips says he can relate to the kids and this will help him build relationships with them. When asked, Mansfield City Schools Board President Chris Elswick confirmed the pending move, “The board will be voting in a special board meeting next Wednesday on February 25th on whether or not to elect David Phillips as our next football coach.”

This move ignites a lot of promise and a spark of hope for the program moving forward as David Phillips looks to build his own legacy at his alma mater. “Trust the process, I want what’s best for the kids in the classrooms but also let’s hold them accountable for outside of school too. Tell them hey, you’re representing this city, we are all together in this.”

David Phillips will make his debut this fall as head varsity football coach under the lights at historic Arlin Field.