Gatorade, ESPY Awards Doled Out To South Bay Coaches

SAN JOSE, CA — Whether in a grander sense or isolated to a small collective, being a part of a team represents the heart and soul of sports.

In the heart of the Silicon Valley, no one knows better than Archbishop Mitty High School Women’s Basketball Head Coach Sue Phillips, who was honored as one of two team chiefs to receive the nationally-recognized 2019 Gatorade Coaching Excellence Award.

With 692 wins under her belt, Phillips leads one of the nation’s top-ranked basketball teams. Under her watch, Archbishop Mitty has earned 22 West Catholic Athletic League, 21 Central Coast Section, 12 NorCal and six California Interscholastic Federation state championships — including a national title win in 2018. One of her current players, Haley Jones, is ranked nationally as the No. 1 women’s basketball recruit.

“I’ve been coaching for more than 25 years and feel incredibly lucky to be recognized by Gatorade. This award is truly special because it recognizes what I believe is the most important and rewarding part of coaching – it’s heart," Phillips told Patch.

Gatorade tipped its hat to Phillips at the Athlete of the Year dinner in Los Angeles Tuesday night, capturing an honor she could boast for the red carpet celebration at the 2019 ESPYS on Wednesday night alongside some of the world’s most iconic figures in sports.

The Gatorade Coaching Excellence Award was established in 2016 to honor the best and most dedicated high school coaches across the country. Every athlete, professional, or amateur has had a coach inspire them along the way, and it's been Gatorade's aim to celebrate the truly remarkable impact that coaches have on high school athletes. Each year, Gatorade honors two coaches for their commitment to the profession that goes far beyond the game. The other coach is Head Football Coach Tommy Gilleran of Lake Hamilton High School.

"We are proud to honor two individuals whose hard work and dedication to their players' success extends far beyond the hardwood and turf," Gatorade's Global Head of Sports Marketing Jeff Kearney said. "For Sue and Tommy, coaching doesn't stop at the final whistle, but continues through the lasting impact they have on young women and men."

Phillips has been named National Coach of the Year by the Naismith and Women's Basketball Coaches Association.

"One thing you'll notice about Sue is that she teaches values first and basketball second. She leads through example with encouragement and hard work. Everything she does is for her players," said Brian Eagleson, Archbishop Mitty High School Director of Athletic Programs.

Phillips was in good company this year at the ESPYs, with a heavy load of character-building moments and honorees — one shared at the event with her brethren a few miles away, Prospect High School Junior Varsity Football Coach Rob Mendez.

This year's ESPYs featured leather shorts-clad U.S. women's soccer great Megan Rapinoe coming off an international win for the national team; a standing ovation for basketball legend Bill Russell when he received the Arthur Ashe award; a "best sports moment" for a teary, retiring Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn and an even more emotional time for Saratoga's Mendez, ESPN reported this week.

The Saratoga coach was honored with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. Jimmy Valvano, a college basketball coach who died of cancer, gave an emotional speech at the ESPYs in 1993 essentially telling the listeners to laugh and not give up.

Born with no arms and no legs, Mendez lives up to that tradition with his mantra: "Who says I can't?" ESPN indicated.

"When you dedicate yourself to something and open your mind to different possibilities and focus on what you can do instead of what you can't do, you really can go places in this world," Mendez recently told CBS News of his high honor in a room full of able-bodied athletes. "I've made it this far and who says I can't go further. That's my message tonight. Who says I can't? Nobody."