KNOXVILLE – Mom always knows best.
In the case of Tennessee defensive end Kyle Phillips, there really is no doubt of that.
Kyle’s mother, Teresa Phillips, is in her 16th season as athletic director at Tennessee State University, after spending 15 years as a collegiate women’s basketball head coach.
So when the Chattanooga native and 1976 Girls Preparatory School graduate is on the phone with her son talking about the rigors of being a Division I student-athlete, Kyle is certain his mom understands the grind.
“We have a really good relationship,” Kyle said at the Volunteers’ preseason media day Sunday. “She obviously knows the background of sports with being an athletic director and being a former head coach. We kind of feed off each other with ideas and things like that. She gives me advice on what to do and what not to do.”