Teresa Lawrence Phillips '76

A trailblazer and icon in the world of sports, Teresa became the head of Tennessee State University Athletics in 2002. As the first woman to ever coach an NCAA Division I men's basketball team, she was named one of 101 Most Influential Minorities in Sports by Sports Illustrated in 2023.  She led the TSU Lady Tigers to their first NCAA tournament appearance and was named USA Today National Coach of the Year in 1990. A graduate of Vanderbilt University and TSU, Teresa is a member of several prestigious halls of fame and earned the Betty Probasco Lifetime Achievement Award and the TSU Woman of Merit honor, among others. Teresa has served on the NCAA Women’s Basketball Selection Committee and the Vanderbilt Alumni Advisory Board. She is a proud mother to sons Micah and NFL veteran Kyle Phillips.