Girls’ rugby coach Emily Philbin is the recipient of  the MIAA Coach of the Year award, making her the first coach in Algonquin history to ever receive the recognition.  

Athletic Director Fran Whitten nominated Philbin as Coach of the Year because he believes she embodies what this award really means.

“It’s a big accomplishment but one that is very well deserved,” Whitten said.

Philbin has been coaching girls’ rugby for nine years. She says she loves this sport and played through college.

“As a game I think one of the best things about rugby is it takes physical strength but also strategy,” Philbin said. “You have to be strong and you have to be athletic, but you also have to think, so for me it kind of mixed both things, when I was a player, that I really liked… I like to think a lot and I loved playing sports and being competitive so [rugby] kind of marries those things together.”

Philbin said her motivation for starting the rugby program at Algonquin and for coaching is exposing girls to a new activity in the spring and “empowering young women to realize how strong and smart they really are.”

This award came as a surprise to Philbin.

“I never even knew it existed,” Philbin said. “We [girls’ rugby coaches] used to joke about it and then when Mr. Whitten gave me the application I was like, ‘What is this?’ And he was like, ‘It’s Coach of the Year.’ I was like, ‘They have that?’”

Philbin says that her mindset going into coaching the team was never about winning awards; it was about helping the youth realize how talented they really are. Philbin also realized what an honor it is to be the first coach at Algonquin to ever receive this award.

“It’s surprising and a huge honor, but also I guess one of the things is it’s not just me: I didn’t just start it [the rugby program],” Philbin said. “If I didn’t have players, if I didn’t have another coach who helps me out too, if I didn’t have all those things, I wouldn’t be here.”

According to Philbin, the idea of  starting a rugby team at Algonquin was brought to her by a student. The student’s family played rugby and coincidentally knew Philbin’s college coach.

“I was asked by a student…if I would be willing to start it as a club,” Philbin said. “I didn’t have the time to play and grade papers so I was like, ‘Oh this could be cool.’”

“I look at coaching as being an extension of being a teacher,” Philbin said. “I think I have an idea of how kids learn and I coach the same age that I teach, so I think that is helpful.”  

Whitten is proud of Philbin’s accomplishments and contributions to high school rugby.

“I felt that [Philbin] really was the driving force behind starting rugby here and has been very influential statewide in rugby,” Whitten said.

According to Whitten, this award recognizes excellence in coaching qualities including leadership, character, service and promoting interscholastic athletics.

“This is a very prestigious award; it’s a state-wide award and it’s going to the coach that best exemplifies what that award stands for,” Whitten said. “She’s a perfect example of what this coach of the year stands for.”