NCAA Coaching Staff

Phillips arrives in Adrian after serving the 2019-20 season as an assistant coach for the Odessa Jackalopes of the North American Hockey League. After making his coaching debut there, he was elevated to interim head coach midseason and spent the second half of the year leading the Jacks.

Phillips came to Odessa, Texas, with a wealth of professional playing experience after spending five seasons as a defenseman in the ECHL. Before that, he spent four years playing NCAA Division I hockey at the University of Massachusetts where he logged 23 goals and 27 assists for the Minutemen.

After his 124-game career at UMass, Phillips signed an American Hockey League contract with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers before starting his ECHL stint with the Stockton Thunder in 2014-15, when he had 9+18=27 scoring totals in 67 contests. He also skated for the Kalamazoo Wings, Norfolk Admirals, Indy Fuel, Orlando Solar Bears and Tulsa Oilers.

While playing, Phillips developed his coaching skills during the off-seasons as a member of Total Package Hockey's staff where he worked with Michigan's elite hockey players. At the same time, Phillips led the summer and fall season practices for Brother Rice High School and provided private skill development lessons.

Phillips, a native of Farmington Hills, launched his playing career in Michigan playing for several AAA hockey teams before joining the Soo Eagles of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League. Phillips was drafted by the Indiana Ice of the United States Hockey League and suited up for the team for 47 games during the 2009-10 season. Phillips stayed in the USHL for only one season before moving on to play at UMass.

Phillips got his bachelor's degree in psychology from UMass.

Jeremy Symington begins his 10th campaign during the 2020-21 academic year coaching the goaltenders at Adrian College, bringing 23 years' experience instructing that position. He also is the operations manager of the on-campus Arrington Ice Arena.

In 2017-18, Adrian goaltenders compiled the second-lowest goals-against average in team history at 1.72. The Bulldogs ranked second in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association and fifth in NCAA Division III in scoring defense (1.80).

He tutored Kevin Entmaa who earned a spot on the 2016 U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO.com) All-Rookie Team, was All-NCHA Freshman, and made the all-tournament team during Adrian's run to the NCHA Harris Cup Championship. Entmaa was the last unbeaten goalie at any NCAA men's level and became the first Bulldog to go undefeated, untied during the regular season (minimum of 10 decisions). He finished 14-1 to lead the nation with a .933 winning percentage, compiled a 2.12 goals-against average and .926 save percentage.

In the last four years, Symington groomed professional netminders Entmaa (SPHL Macon Mayhem/Independent, 2019), Dillon Kelley (ECHL Norfolk Admirals/Independent, 2018) and Tyler Parks (ECHL Missouri Mavericks/New York Islanders, 2016).

Symington has helped Adrian's goalies progress throughout their careers since his arrival in time for the 2011-12 season. The Bulldogs have ranked among the national leaders in fewest goals allowed and save percentage during his tenure.

In his first year on the job, the Bulldogs had two freshmen on the depth chart and they both played very well. Scott Shackell was named All-Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association and ranked second in the league with a 2.12 GAA in league play. Shackell ended his senior season in 2014-15, recording an 18-2-3 record, 2.13 overall GAA and .926 save percentage. James Hamby owned the third-best GAA, yielding just 2.31 goals per outing.

Symington joined the Bulldogs men's hockey coaching staff as a goaltender coach after a long minor league career. He spent nine years playing for 10 different organizations, beginning with the Elmira Jackals of the United Hockey League over 51 games from 2001-03. During the 2002-03 season, he split time with Elmira and the American Hockey League's Binghamton Senators, where he went 3-1-1 with a 2.32 GAA and .922 save percentage. He also saw action with the Lubbock Cotton Kings (2003-04), Laredo Bucks (2004-05), Port Huron Flags (2005-06), Rio Grande Valley Killer (2006-07), Kalamazoo Wings (2007-08) and the Odessa Jackalopes (2008-09). He was selected by the New York Islanders in the eighth round (No. 196 overall) in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.

Symington played collegiately at NCAA Division I St. Lawrence University from 1997 to 2001, and posted a record of 16-8 with a 2.93 GAA as a senior. He backstopped the Saints to two ECAC Hockey titles (2001 tournament most valuable player) and three NCAA Tournament appearances including a Frozen Four berth in 2000.