our team

Making a Difference

The Tennessee Tech Athletics Association is the official fundraising organization of Tennessee Tech Athletics. Your support allows the Athletics Department to provide the very best student-athlete experience and recruit the best and brightest student-athletes. Contributions can support all 14 Golden Eagle intercollegiate teams with an emphasis on annual operations, facilities, and support areas. A designated gift is used to support the sport of your choice. More than 300 student-athletes benefit educationally from your annual participation.

ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT office

Bobby Taylor

Email: rhtaylor@tntech.edu

Title: Associate Athletic Director for Development

Phone: 931-372-6228

Troy Wilson

Email: twilson@tntech.edu

Title: Annual Giving Coordinator for Athletics

Phone: 931-372-6228

  • Troy joined the Tennessee Tech team in March 2026 after gaining nearly three years of Power 4 athletics development experience with the Tennessee Fund and Tennessee Athletics. After working as a development student intern for a year and a half, Troy graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a Bachelor of Science of Education in Recreation and Sport Management and joined the Tennessee Fund staff as a development assistant. He spent the next year and a half learning each part of a successful Division I development office by navigating his way through the team first in internal operations before being promoted to major gifts and then rounding out his experience with the annual fund.

    During his stint in Knoxville, the Tennessee Fund announced record-breaking years in revenue, major gifts closed, and total donor count - culminating with more than $300 million raised and over 300 major gifts closed of $25,000+ in FY25 in the midst of growing its donor base to more than 18,000 active donors. He was a member of the Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society's UTK chapter, serving as the president in his senior year. He was also an active member of the Partners in Sports organization, which promoted networking and professional development among young professionals in the sports industry.

    Troy's sister is a 2x Tennessee Tech graduate and was a member of the Golden Eagle Marching Band during her first tenure as a Tech student. Troy is excited to be part of the Tennessee Tech team and the Cookeville community and looks forward to all the upcoming successes of the department and town.

Kristie Phillips

Email: kphillips@tntech.edu

Title: Director of Athletics Engagement and Experience

Phone: 931-372-6857

  • Kristie Phillips, director of Annual Giving and Stewardship, joins the Athletics staff after spending 14 years as Tennessee Tech University’s director of Annual Giving. In that role she grew the program from approximately $250,000 to just under $1 million, handling annual gifts for all of the university’s colleges and schools. During her tenure, Phillips created and developed the ‘True to Tech’ loyal donors program, which has more than 5,000 members.

    Phillips brings her passion for TTU and its athletics programs to her new position as she builds a successful annual giving and stewardship program. The daughter of former Golden Eagle standout fullback Ottis Phillips, she has been a part of Golden Eagle football since she was a youngster, carrying the flowers to the homecoming queen when she was two years old during her dad’s senior season when the team was playing for the 1972 OVC championship team.

    A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Phillips returned to Cookeville after graduating and went to work for TTU’s College of Business. From there she worked in newspaper, radio, public relations, advertising and promotions before returning to the university in 2001. Active in the community, she volunteers with several events throughout the year. A member of the original TSSAA Steering Committee for the high school state championships held at Tucker Stadium, Phillips chaired the Marketing Committee until 2015.