After 14 years of being the Starr’s Mill football head coach and 27 years of being involved with the program, Chad Philips has announced his retirement.

“I’ve been here 27 years and I’ve coached high school football for 34 years,” Philips said. “I’m not getting any younger.”

Philips is only the second head football coach in school history, earning the role after Mike Earwood retired in 2009. He has been at Starr’s Mill since the school opened and is a staple of the athletics program. 

“Coach Philips brings a sense of culture to the school,” assistant principal and athletic director Shane Ratliff said. “It’s something we’re going to miss with Coach Philips leaving.”

Over the course of his career, Philips amassed a record of 111 wins and 55 losses. He coached 10 teams to the state playoffs and won 7 region championships. Panther football advanced to the state semifinals 3 times and earned state runner-up once. He also won 7 region coach of the year titles.

“I’ve put a lot of hours into this school,” Philips said. “It’s time to slow down a bit.”

The legacy Philips is leaving is far more than just how the football program runs. He has instilled a value of family within the Starr’s Mill community, something that has permeated to other sports and the student body as a whole.

“I see this program being really strong. There’s a lot of opportunity for success for the program,” Philips said. “As for me, I’m going to relax a little bit.”

As of now, no replacement has been announced. However, with the legacy Philips is leaving behind, whoever is chosen will have a lot to live up to.