A glimpse into the life of Coach Phillips

     Known around campus as Coach Phillips, Ke’von Phillips manages to engage with students while working as one of our security guards and coaches. 

     Graduating from Miami Carol City high school, Phillips attended University, Dodge City Community College, ASM Miami and Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia, where he received his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and with a minor in Mass Communications.

     Phillips joined during the 2021-2022 school year after he was recommended by Football Coach Thomas Caporale. As a security guard, Phillips is in charge of monitoring and reporting any incidents that happen throughout the school day.

     In addition to his responsibilities as a security guard, Phillips is also a football coach. He mainly does special teams coordination, coaching the linebacker and receivers positions on our Varsity team, and he is the defensive coordinator and tag teams strength and conditioning coach for Junior Varsity football, alongside Coach Angel Guitierrez. On top of that, Phillips is the head coach for the Girls soccer team.

    “Coaching is one of my favorite parts of the job because it’s a passion.” Phillips said. “I’m an athlete myself and sports is just something I’m very familiar with and love to do.” 

     Phillips’ goal is to coach a team all the way to a state championship, and provide a bridge of transition for students from high school to college and into a better lifestyle.   

     One of Phillips’ interests outside of school is watching anime. His love for anime began when he was given a Pokèmon book as a teen. The limited cards gave him popularity amongst his peers in his neighborhood and at school. His favorite animes are Trigun, Samurai Champloo and Dragon Ball Z.

     “Anime’s grown on me,” Phillips said. “Other than sports, it’s just the one other thing I got into as a kid.” 

      A few months before the onset of the COVID pandemic, Phillips returned from college to Miami for the chance to enter the NFL draft and the NFL combine. When the lockdown happened, he lost the opportunity for scouts to see him perform. The oldest of 16 siblings, Phillips prioritized family and stayed in Miami to be around what he says is his biggest support system. 

     “Having such a big family influenced me a lot, many family members say I’m so good with kids and I don’t have any kids of my own, but my nieces and nephews call me their funcle, it’s abbreviated for fun uncle,” Phillips said.

      Phillips said he strives to be the light and laughter in every situation, and wants to leave a legacy as always being a positive and “glass half full” type of person.  

     One of the reasons he enjoys working at Krop is because of the greetings and smiles on the students’ faces. Phillips claims a lot of the students feed off of his energy and even when he’s having an off day they motivate him.

     “I try to develop a good rapport with the kids here,” Phillips said. “I feel like me and the school are one. The big K that’s our symbol, my first name is Ke’von and I feel like I put that K in Krop and that lightning strike you see right in-between it, that’s the positive energy that I produce here and like to push out.”