A 2016 alumna of FHU, Phillips (née Miskelly) competed for the Lady Lion soccer team before shifting into a student assistant position for the women's basketball team from the 2013-14 season until the 2014-15 season. After graduating with her degree in psychology, Phillips remained on the staff as a graduate assistant until the 2016-17 season.
After obtaining her master's degree in education and school counseling, she worked as the school councilor at Rose Hill Elementary and Scott's Hill High School. At both schools she served as a head coach, first in tennis at Rose Hill before leading the Scott's Hill girls soccer team.
Phillips returned to Henderson in 2020 where she was the assistant basketball coach until 2022 before becoming the school councilor at Arkansas's Cabot High School. While at Cabot, she coached the Junior High North's girls basketball team.
"I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to return to Freed-Hardeman and be a part of the basketball program in this capacity," said Phillips. "This place means a lot to me—not just because of the game, but because of the people and the values that make it special. I'm excited to continue building on the foundation that's already in place and to pour into these student-athletes both on and off the court."
While not coaching, Phillips has hiked to completion both the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail.
Coach Stutts said of her new assistant, "We are so excited to have Darby a part of our women's basketball program again. She has so much passion for FHU, women's basketball, but mostly importantly for people. I am looking forward to us working together again to continue the Lady Lions tradition!"
