Phil Groves
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Assistant Track Coach
University of Missouri
1st season at JCCC
pgrovesi@jccc.edu
Phil Groves joins the JCCC coaching staff this fall, and will serve as the throws and multi-events coach for the Cavaliers track and field teams. Groves joins the Johnson County track and field program after serving as the throws coach at the University of Missouri-Kansas City during the 2008-09 season.
In his one season at UMKC, Groves coached Kimoya Harriott to a first-place finish in the javelin at The Summit League Outdoor Championships. Harrriott posted a mark of 144-8, which broke the Eccles Coliseum record at Southern Utah University. The last time a UMKC student-athlete won the event in the javelin was in 2002. She is also the current UMKC record holder in the event. She was also the only women’s regional qualifier for the Kangaroos.
Two months prior to his hiring at UMKC, Groves was hired as the first head coach at Georgian Court University in Lakewood, N.J. He was tabbed to create and field a new track and field program at the school. This role was to include administrative duties, recruiting for the Lions, including organizing, arranging and administering campus visits, and designing most aspects of training for the team, particularly in the areas of throws, jumps, multi-events and sprints. However, GCU did not officially compete until after Grove’s departure.
Before moving to the East Coast, Groves served as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Adams State College in Alamoso, Colo., from February 2007 to March 2008. During his time at Adams, the Grizzlies claimed the NCAA Division II Women’s Indoor National Championship and student-athletes under Groves' guidance garnered eight all-America honors. From Aug. 2006 to Jan. 2007, Groves was an graduate assistant coach at Chadron State College.
Prior to his move to Chadron State, Groves spent two and a half years at Missouri Baptist University, where he coached 10 All-Americans, including two-time national champion Shernell Nichols in the women’s shot put. Nichols claimed the 2005 NAIA outdoor title and the 2006 NAIA indoor championship in the event. As a result, Groves was named the 2006 NAIA Indoor Women’s National Assistant Coach of the Year - Throws.
As a team, Groves was instrumental in leading the Spartans to the 2006 NAIA Indoor National Championship and the 2006 NAIA Outdoor National Championship. Throughout his collegiate coaching career, Groves coached student-athletes to a total of 28 school records. Additionally, 10 individuals posted top-three national finishes under his guidance.
Groves has also been active on the high school and youth scene in his coaching career. While working with select student-athletes, he coached 15 all-state honorees, three individual state champions, 15 individual district champions and 16 individual conference champions. On the youth circuit, 13 athletes earned AAU/USATF all-America honors under his watch, and he coached one USATF Heptathlon National Champion and one AAU Discus National Champion.
Groves, who is a USATF Level I Certified Track and Field Coach, earned his bachelor of science degree in nutrition and fitness from the University of Missouri in May 2005. He received his master’s degree in human performance and physical education with an emphasis in exercise science from Adams State in May 2009.