Philip Bannister
Associate Head Coach Men's Soccer
Phil Bannister finished his sixth season on the Fordham coaching staff in 2024. After three seasons as an assistant coach, Bannister was promoted to associate head coach in the spring of 2022.
With Bannister on the bench, Fordham has turned in a record of 38-24-29 (.520), including a 20-11-14 (.600) mark in Atlantic 10 play. The team has twice qualified for the NCAA Tournament (2020-21 and 2024) and earned a spot into five out of possible six A-10 Men’s Soccer Championships. Fordham has advanced to at least the semifinals in four of those five conference tournament appearances.
Bannister has mentored nine All-Atlantic 10 selections with the Rams, including a pair of major award winners in 2019 A-10 Defensive Player of the Year Joergen Oland and 2024 A-10 Midfielder of the Year Daniel D’Ippolito. A two-time Academic All-American during his playing days, Bannister has seen three of his Fordham players earn Academic All-American distinction: Johannes Pieles (2019), Timo Hummrich (2023) and D’Ippolito (2024).
In year two with Rams, Bannister coached the Rams through the adversity of a pandemic to capture the program's fourth Atlantic 10 Championship. After an unbeaten regular season, Fordham knocked off Saint Louis and George Washington in the Atlantic 10 Championship to win the title. The Rams suffered their only loss of the season at the hands of Marshall, the eventual national champion, in overtime in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
Bannister relationship with Head Coach Carlo Acquista predated his time at Fordham, as he served on his staff at Adelphi University for two seasons. He was a part of the 2017 East Region Coaching Staff of the Year after Adelphi won the Northeast-10 regular season championship and finished with a no. 14 national ranking. In 2018, the Panthers once again claimed the NE-10 regular season championship in addition to winning the conference tournament.
Prior to Adelphi, Bannister spent three years at St. John's University. He served his first two years as a graduate assistant with the Red Storm before transitioning to the position of volunteer assistant. He joined St. John's after one season as a graduate assistant with the women's soccer team at Bloomsburg.
Following a standout collegiate career at Loyola (Md.), the Wallsend, England, native was drafted by the Colorado Rapids in the 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft. Bannister went on to play for the DC United U-23 team before returning home to England to play semi-professionally for Blyth Spartans AFC.
A four-time All-MAAC selection, Bannister was a two-time first team choice and a two-time second team honoree. As a freshman, the forward earned MAAC Rookie of the Year honors and led all Division I freshmen in scoring after totaling 13 goals and seven assists. Bannister finished his career ranked eighth in program-history in goals (40), a mark that included 13 game-winners. He is the Greyhounds’ all-time assists leader (29) and ranks sixth in points (109).
A Lowe's Senior CLASS Award Finalist as a senior, Bannister was a two-time ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America selection. Bannister, who owns FA Level 1 and FA Level 2 coaching badges, graduated from Loyola in 2011 with a degree in marketing and earned an MBA in finance from St. John's.