Colorado football's wide receivers coach Jason Phillips is 'about his business'

Jason Phillips has a football resume that spans more than 30 years and includes success at multiple stops. His newest challenge is in Boulder as Colorado's wide receivers coach, a role he's held at eight other college football programs.

Elite production at the wide receiver position has followed Phillips, and the Canadian Football League — where he coached the Hamilton Tiger-Cats receivers for the last two seasons — was no different.

Whenever Phillips would break down his position group's huddle after practice, he had just two words for his receivers: get paid.

"That was the number one thing, you know, just make sure that you're standing on your P's and Q's, making sure you're about your business — and that means staying healthy, that means playing at an extremely high level because that's what you want to do: be able to take care of your family," Tiger-Cats wide receiver Tim White told the Coloradoan.

"We would get that break and it was, 'get paid.'"

White is the latest wide receiver to benefit from Phillips' coaching and businesslike style.

After an impressive career at Arizona State, where White racked up over 1,300 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns over his last two seasons (2015-16) combined, he signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2017. White appeared in three games for the Ravens in 2018 before spending time on the practice squads of the New York Jets (2019) and New Orleans Saints (2019-20).

The former Sun Devil made the jump to the CFL in 2021, catching 56 passes for 774 yards and two touchdowns in his first season with the Tiger-Cats, but it wasn't until Phillips joined Hamilton for the 2022 campaign that White played the best football of his life.

"Coach Phillips, actually, was the first wide receivers coach where I went over 1,000 yards, and I think it was just his ability to demand excellence and his ability to be consistent," White said. "I would say that's one of his biggest things, being consistent and having those high expectations."

Those expectations aren't just for his players. Phillips has always had high expectations for himself.

A consensus All-American wide receiver at the University of Houston, Phillips led the nation in receptions (108), receiving yards (1,444) and receiving touchdowns (15) during the 1988 college football season. That led to his selection in the 1989 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, where he would set a franchise rookie record with 10 receptions for 155 yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Phillips spent two years in Detroit before playing three seasons for the Atlanta Falcons. A three-year stint in the CFL (1995-97) led to Phillips' college football coaching career, which began in 2001 at his alma mater, Houston.

From there, Phillips went on to coach wide receivers at Texas State (2002), Houston (twice, 2003-06, 2008-2011), Baylor (2007), SMU (2012-14), Kansas (2016), Oregon State (2017) and Utah State (2019-2020) before joining Colorado coach Deion Sanders at Jackson State for the 2021 campaign.

During his time coaching at Houston, Phillips produced seven 1,000-yard receiving seasons from four different players, including Donnie Avery, the first wide receiver taken in the 2008 NFL Draft. The 2011 Cougars offense — led by quarterback Case Keenum, whom Phillips helped to numerous NCAA records — was one of the most prolific in NCAA history, averaging nearly 600 yards per game (second all-time).

"We had so many guys that played so well for him throughout that time, and he coached them hard, he challenged them every day at practice," said Keenum, who just wrapped up his 11th season in the NFL. "He's one of the best wide receivers coaches I've been around, I love coach Phillips."

Add White to the long list of wide receivers who have played well for Phillips.

White caught a career-high 94 passes for 1,265 yards and eight touchdowns during Phillips' first season with the Tiger-Cats in 2022. The back-to-back CFL All-Star was the league's leading receiver this past season, catching 75 passes for 1,269 yards and eight scores.

For a wide receiver who had never reached the 1,000-yard mark before, White made it look easy in each of the last two seasons with Phillips' guidance.

"He's about his business," White said. "Every time we stepped on the field, there was an expectation to have a high level of practice and a high level of playing. He held us to a high standard and that's something, as a player, that you look forward to."

Taking over as Colorado's wide receivers coach for Brett Bartolone (now Colorado's tight ends coach), Phillips will have one of the nation's most talented receiving corps to bring the best out of. His experience, both as a player and coach, and his ability to relate to his players on a personal level makes him a match made in heaven for the Buffs' stable of pass catchers.

"He played with 'Coach Prime' (with the Falcons from 1991-93), so he was able to speak to me from the level of 'you need to be the absolute best in your craft, and you need to have the utmost confidence in yourself and your ability that God gave you,' " White said. "He was able to talk to you in a different manner in which you can relate to if you're trying to chase greatness or chasing to be the best that you can be."

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This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado wide receivers coach Jason Phillips is 'about his business'