Hasim Phillips serves as Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director and Chief Communications Officer, with oversight of the department's communications, brand advancement and RVision staffs. Phillips serves as the primary spokesman for the department and is a member of the executive leadership team.
Over the past two decades, he has worked as a media relations professional in the nation’s No. 1 media market (New York) with roles both in college athletics and corporate communications.
Prior to his elevation to overseeing the communications staff at Rutgers, Phillips was the lead media relations contact for the football program, handling all media inquiries for the program’s coaches and players. Additionally, he was the executive producer for the “RFootball Show,” a 12-episode television series with distribution throughout the East Coast from New York to areas in South Florida. Phillips also managed all football related content on the school’s official athletics website (ScarletKnights.com) and social media channels.
For Phillips, this is the second stint with Rutgers Athletics, having previously served with the department from 2004-2012. He began his career in athletic communications at Rutgers in 2004, serving as an assistant until 2007 before becoming an Assistant Director for Athletic Communications from 2007-11.
While at Rutgers, he was a member of an athletic communications staff that was twice (2009, 2010) recognized by the Football Writers Association of America as a "Super 11" communications department, awarded to the top PR offices in the country. In 2011, he was elevated to the role of Associate Director of Athletic Communications, serving as the primary media contact for Hall of Fame head coach C. Vivian Stringer and the women's basketball team.
Phillips joined The Madison Square Garden Company in 2012 as Manager for Corporate Communications. He assisted in the publicity efforts of the MSG Sports brand, helping promote marketing partnerships and new business initiatives. He also worked to promote the New York Knicks’ community service initiative “Basketball in the Boroughs,” securing targeted media opportunities to highlight the franchise’s work in the community. He was involved with press event planning in the corporate and sports business areas, including the grand reopening event following a historic three-phase, top-to-bottom transformation of Madison Square Garden.
He also assisted in preparing senior level management for speaking engagements and developing press materials for marketing partner announcements. Phillips managed inquiries regarding the use of MSG trademarks or logos in television or film projects. He was responsible for script review and concept approval in addition to working with production crews while filming on site at Madison Square Garden. He served as a liaison between MSG, the corporate offices of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Hockey League (NHL), and several major motion picture and television studios.
Phillips, a native of Brooklyn, New York, is a 2004 graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in sports management. He earned his MBA in marketing and strategy from the Rutgers School of Business in 2019. Phillips resides in Metuchen, New Jersey, with his wife Catherine Hetzel (RC ‘08) and their sons, Malakai and Miles.
