Phil Nicolaides

Phil Nicolaides is an American college football coach. He is the head football coach for Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota, a position he has held since 2022.

Early life and playing career Nicolaides is a native of Exton, Pennsylvania. He attended Carnegie Mellon University, where he played linebacker and safety for the Tartans from 2009 to 2012. During his senior season in 2012, he appeared in 11 games with three starts, recording 25 tackles and one sack. Over his collegiate career, Nicolaides appeared in 28 games and recorded multiple sacks and a forced fumble.

He graduated from Carnegie Mellon in 2013 with degrees in business finance and psychology.

Coaching career Early coaching career Nicolaides began his coaching career in 2013 at Pine Creek High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he served as linebackers and defensive backs coach. During this time, he also worked as an NFL recruiting and scouting intern with 360 Sports.

Franklin & Marshall College From 2014 to 2015, Nicolaides served as defensive backs coach and video coordinator at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Randolph–Macon College Nicolaides joined the coaching staff at Randolph–Macon College in Ashland, Virginia, in 2016, serving as defensive coordinator for six seasons. During his tenure, Randolph–Macon ranked either first or second in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference in points allowed in all six seasons. The Yellow Jackets won three ODAC championships and compiled a 48–11 record during that span.

In 2018, Randolph–Macon earned the first NCAA playoff victory in program history with an upset win over eighth-ranked John Carroll. The Yellow Jackets finished the 2018 and 2021 seasons ranked in the NCAA Division III Top 20.

Macalester College Nicolaides was named head football coach at Macalester College in March 2022. He officially began his tenure on April 1, 2022. Macalester returned to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for the first time since 2001 during his first season as head coach.

Head coaching record College