Tulsa to hire assistant Phillips

Monday, April 9th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

The University of Tulsa will elevate assistant John Phillips to succeed Buzz Peterson as basketball coach. Peterson left to coach at the University of Tennessee last week after leading the Hurricane to a 26-11 record and an NIT championship. He was at the school one year.

The Tulsa World said a news conference was planned for Monday afternoon. Tulsa officials did not immediately return a phone call Monday morning to confirm the hiring.

The 53-year-old Phillips would be Tulsa's fifth head coach in eight seasons. He has been an assistant with the Hurricane for four years. Phillips also coached two years at Oklahoma State and was a 17-year high school head coach in the Tulsa area.

``The job is a good job and it's only natural that they would look at the best possible candidates,'' Phillips said last week. ``I just happen to think I'm that guy. I'm not going to give up because they don't give me the job tomorrow.''

To learn more about Coach Phillips, click here.