Michael Phipps is joining the High Point University men's lacrosse program as volunteer assistant coach for the 2011-12 season, head coach Jon Torpey announced on Wednesday. Phipps had a stellar playing career at the University of Maryland and was offensive coordinator at the Severn School in Maryland for the past two years.

"We're thrilled to have Michael on board this year," said Torpey. "He comes from an incredible lacrosse family and has been a proven winner wherever he has been. Michael has accomplishments and experiences as both a coach and player that are very impressive to this point in his career. People who have been fortunate to work with Michael speak very highly of him and we think he will be a great asset to our program moving forward."

Phipps helped lead Maryland to two NCAA Final Fours, four NCAA Tournament appearances and a 46-20 record over his four years as a player there. The Terrapins achieved a No. 1 ranking during Phipps's freshman year of 2004, when the team went 13-3. Maryland advanced to the NCAA Semifinals in 2005 and 2006 and won ACC Tournament titles in 2004 and 2005.

Phipps was a three-year starter on attack at Maryland, compiling 48 goals and 95 points in his career. He led the team with 28 goals and 50 points his senior year of 2007. He was a USILA All-American honorable mention and earned the Van Trump Award as the team's best overall attackman his senior year.

Phipps played professionally in Major League Lacrosse from 2008-10 as a member of the Los Angeles Riptide and Chesapeake Bayhawks.

Upon graduation, Phipps served as Director of Lacrosse Operations at Maryland for the 2008 season, assisting in many aspects of the program while mentoring the freshman attackers. Phipps handled travel arrangements and budgeting and assisted with film analysis, media relations and game scouting.

Phipps was assistant coach and offensive coordinator at the Severn School, which competes in one of the best high school leagues in the nation, in 2010 and 2011. He coached and helped develop numerous players who committed to Div. I schools including Maryland and North Carolina.

He has served as head coach of Team Smartlink, a summer club team of rising juniors and seniors in Anne Arundel County for the past three years and worked as an account executive at G&G Outfitters, an apparel company, from 2010-11.

Phipps has worked at several lacrosse camps, including the Pete Worstell's "Be the Best" Lacrosse Camp, which is one of the most prestigious in the country.

Phipps comes from a strong family background in lacrosse: his grandfather played at Maryland, his father was a member of Maryland's last NCAA Championship team in 1975, and his younger brother, Brian, was an All-American goalie at Maryland. The Phipps family was featured by CBS College Sports in 2007 (view the feature on YouTube here).