Owen Thomas "Tripp" Phillips III (born August 26, 1977) is an American tennis coach and former professional player who is the associate head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels men's tennis team.
Phillips was born in Newport News, Virginia. He started to play tennis at the age of four with his mother Brenda and father O.T. When he was 16, he was among the top 10 in America in boy's 16âÂÂ18.
He attended Charlotte Country Day School and then the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he majored in sports science and was an All-American his senior year.
He won two ATP doubles titles in his career. The first was in Tokyo, Japan on October 2, 2006, when he and his partner, Ashley Fisher defeated American duo Paul Goldstein and Jim Thomas in straight sets, 6âÂÂ2, 7âÂÂ5. The second was at the 2008 Indianapolis Tennis Championships when he and Fisher defeated Scott Lipsky and David Martin, 6âÂÂ3, 3âÂÂ6, 10âÂÂ5.
Also, he has won several ITF circuit challengers with Fisher and also in Atlantic City with his partner Ryan Sachire. In 2006 he partnered with Rogier Wassen to win the doubles title at an ITF challenger event in Mexico City.
In 2004, he played his only singles match at the ATP World Tour level. It came at the Franklin Templeton Tennis Classic in Scottsdale, Arizona, and he lost to compatriot Robby Ginepri in the first round, 6âÂÂ2, 6âÂÂ0.
In 2008, he paired with K. J. Hippensteel to win two matches in doubles qualifying and make the main draw at Wimbledon. They then lost in the first round of the main draw to Ross Hutchins and Stephen Huss, 6âÂÂ3, 6âÂÂ7(5), 7âÂÂ5, 6âÂÂ2.
Phillips became an assistant coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels under head coach Sam Paul in 2006. He was promoted to associate head coach in 2013.
Phillips is married to Laura Zuger and has two sons.