New ACC Boss Jim Phillips Helped Transform Northwestern As AD

New ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips is wrapping up his time at Northwestern after 13 years as AD, and he will leave the Big Ten school "clearly in better shape than when he took the job," according to Shannon Ryan of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. Phillips said of his goodbyes, which have included meetings with every NU team, “It’s been very emotional for me. It’s been very emotional for the staff and the student-athletes." Ryan writes Phillips' "most notable accomplishments are tangible." His "fundraising allowed for significant facility upgrades," including a $110M renovation of Welsh-Ryan Arena and the $270M construction of the Ryan Fieldhouse and Walter Athletics Center on the lakefront, "often described as among the best facilities in college athletics." Phillips "declined to discuss his plans for the ACC, preferring to keep his focus on Northwestern until his final day on the job." He begins his role with the ACC next month (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 1/20).