Neil Phipps is in his second season in 2025 as an assistant coach for the Buena Vista University football team and is in charge of the defensive line.
A Hall of Fame High School coach, Phipps brings nearly four decades of coaching experience to the program. He retired in 2017 after 39 years as a coach, activities director, teacher and administrator.
Phipps, a native of Cherokee, Iowa, and 1970 graduate of Washington High School, returned to his hometown in 2002 following coaching and teaching stops at Holstein, Terril, Aurelia, and Northern University High School. A couple highlights of Phipps’ career were his 1986 state runner-up Aurelia Bulldog football team, and his NU High School 2002 girls’ track state 1A championship. Phipps was also named to the Iowa Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 2008.
After graduating high school, Phipps went on to attend the University of Northern Iowa where he played football and served as a team captain.
Neil and his wife, Jodi, have three grown children: Jamie, Taylor and Kelly.
