Bio

Brian Phelps has served Indian Hill Exempted Village Schools since 2020, leading one of Ohio’s premier education-based athletic programs while also serving as the district’s Director of Alumni Engagement and Activities Advancement. With more than 25 years of coaching, teaching, athletic administration, and leadership experience, Phelps is passionate about developing young people through athletics and creating meaningful experiences that extend far beyond competition.

A native of Norwood, Ohio, Phelps is a graduate of The Summit Country Day School. He earned a Master of Arts in Sport Administration from Xavier University, a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education and Health from Northern Kentucky University, and an Associate of Arts in Security Administration from the Community College of the Air Force.

Before beginning his career in education, Phelps proudly served in the United States Air Force as a Security Police member. During his military service, he was stationed in San Antonio, Texas; Fort Dix, New Jersey; F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming; Cairo, Egypt; Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia; and Incirlik Air Base in Adana, Turkey. His military experience helped shape the leadership, discipline, teamwork, and servant-minded philosophy that continue to define his professional career.

Prior to joining Indian Hill, Phelps served in leadership and coaching roles at The Seven Hills School and Fort Worth Country Day School. Since beginning his coaching career in 1999, he has coached baseball, softball, boys and girls basketball, golf, and soccer at the varsity, junior varsity, freshman, and middle school levels. He has also been actively involved in summer baseball for more than two decades, helping develop student-athletes throughout the Greater Cincinnati area.

Phelps is a Certified Master Athletic Administrator (CMAA) through the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, the organization’s highest professional certification for athletic administrators. The credential reflects his commitment to professional growth, ethical leadership, education-based athletics, and excellence in interscholastic athletic administration.

In addition to his work in K–12 education, Phelps serves as an Adjunct Instructor in the Sport Management Program at the University of Cincinnati, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in sport management, athletic administration, governance, public relations, and leadership. He is also a presenter for both the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) and the Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (OIAAA) and serves as an instructor for the NIAAA Leadership Training Courses, helping prepare and mentor athletic administrators from across Ohio and the nation.

As Athletic Director, Phelps has overseen some of the most successful athletic departments in Ohio and Texas. During his tenure, he has captured multiple Cincinnati Hills League Cups along with state championships in football, boys soccer, boys and girls tennis, boys golf, boys swimming, and track and field. Throughout his career, he has mentored more than 100 student-athletes who have continued their athletic careers at the collegiate level.

His leadership has been recognized with numerous honors, including Athletic Director of the Year, Baseball Coach of the Year, Golf Coach of the Year, and Summit Country Day School Athlete of the Year.

Phelps believes athletics should always support the educational mission of the school. His coaching philosophy centers on building character, commitment, and a team-first mindset. While championships remain an important goal, he believes the greatest measure of success is the quality of young people a program helps develop.

“I became a coach because I wanted to make a positive impact on young people during one of the most influential periods of their lives. Winning games is exciting, but helping students develop confidence, resilience, leadership, and character is what truly lasts.”

At Indian Hill, Phelps has helped cultivate a culture built upon relationships, high expectations, accountability, and service. He strives to ensure every student-athlete feels valued, challenged, and connected to something greater than themselves. His leadership philosophy reflects his favorite quote:

“Leadership is not about being in charge; it’s about taking care of those in your charge.”

Phelps believes one of Indian Hill’s greatest strengths is its unwavering commitment to excellence in academics, athletics, arts, and character development. He is especially passionate about strengthening lifelong relationships with alumni through the district’s Braves for Life initiative, reinforcing the belief that “Once a Brave. Always a Brave.”

Away from school, Brian enjoys spending time with his family, cheering on his children at their sporting events, golfing whenever possible, and vacationing in Harbor Springs, Michigan. A lifelong Ohio State football fan, Cincinnati Reds fan and Cincinnati Bengals fan, his favorite athlete growing up was Barry Larkin, and his favorite leadership book is Unreasonable Hospitality.

Whether leading coaches, mentoring students, teaching future sport professionals, or presenting to educators across the country, Brian Phelps remains committed to developing leaders, building championship cultures, and ensuring every student-athlete is prepared for success in school, in sport, and in life.