FARGO, N.D.--North Dakota State athletic director Gene Taylor today announced the hiring of Saul Phillips as head men's basketball coach.

Phillips is the 22nd head coach of the Bison. He replaces Tim Miles, who was hired as head coach at Colorado State last Thursday.

This is the first head coaching job for the 34-year-old Phillips, who was an assistant coach at North Dakota State the past three seasons. He has spent the past 11 years at five different schools.

Before coming to North Dakota State in 2004, Phillips was the director of basketball operations for three years at Wisconsin, where he handled the day-to-day scheduling, coordinated travel, budgeting and on-campus recruiting for Bo Ryan's staff.

Before his time with the Badgers, Phillips spent two years as an assistant coach under Ryan at Wisconsin-Milwaukee (1999-01) and two years as an assistant at Lake Superior State (1997-99) under Marty McDermott.

A native of Reedsburg, Wis., Phillips graduated from Wisconsin-Platteville with a degree in business and psychology in 1996. He played basketball for four seasons at UWP under Ryan and was captain of the Pioneers' undefeated national championship team in 1995.

He went on to become a graduate assistant at Wayne (Neb.) State for one season under Greg McDermott.

Phillips and his wife, Nicole, have one daughter, Jordan, and one son, Charlie.

The Phillips File
Age: 34
Born: October 11, 1972
Hometown: Reedsburg, Wisconsin
Wife: Nicole
Children: One daughter, Jordan, and one son, Charlie
Education: Bachelor's degree in business and psychology, Wisconsin-Platteville, 1996.
College Ball: Wisconsin-Platteville, 1991-95