Phil Todd usually isn’t given to long conversations. Just like the legendary Sgt. Joe Friday in early television’s Dragnet series, he has been a “just the facts, ma’am, just the facts” kind of guy.
And, the fact is, Phil Todd has made it clear all year that 2024-25 would be his last season as head coach of Russellville High School boys basketball. He underwent great pain in his back, perhaps partly (or greatly) from playing 12 seasons of high school sports, grinding out four years of college football, and coaching about 70 seasons of high school sports often with long postseasons, 23 of them as a head coach.
As a high school athlete, he was a four-year starter on Panther football, basketball and football teams. Playing for Coach Mickey Meguiar, he was the power forward on three district basketball championship teams, known primarily for his defense and rebounding. The Panthers hadn’t won the district for the previous 12 years. A memorable classic was his going against Lewisburg star Steve Cauley, who led the region in scoring. Phil made it a very tough outing for Cauley, who is a member of the Logan County Athletic Boosters Hall of Fame.
Phil Todd was runner-up to Auburn’s Kenneth Bunton (also a Hall of Famer) as 13th District Player of the Decade in basketball. Playing for Coach Jim Gladden one year and Coach Wayne Shewmaker for three years, his football teams didn’t record any championships, but Phil was named a High School All-American and Russellville Football Player of the Decade.
He played his college football at Austin Peay State University where he was named All-Ohio Valley Conference tight end. He also credits his coach at APSU for instilling the focus and discipline in him that he has used to become a successful coach himself.
When his football career ended, he returned to his alma mater to teach and coach.
Here’s a look at his coaching career:
Coach Todd was the Panthers’ assistant boys basketball coach for nine seasons. winning three district championships.
He was named Head Coach for 1990-1991 season and coached through the 2004 season.
When his successor, Coach Dennis Pardue, resigned, he was again named coach and served from 2013-2017.
He was yet again called to coach and lasted from 2023-2025, following Rex Booth and Carlos Quarles.
In his 22 seasons as head coach, his record was 339-295, a winning percentage of .535. Before agreeing to give these last three seasons a try, his record was 320-226, a winning mark of .586.
He won nine district championships and was regional runner up three times.
He won three 4th Regional championships and was a Sweet Sixteen State Semifinalist two straight seasons.
The Panthers have reached the regional finals eight times in 94 seasons. Phil Todd has been coach of six of those teams. The other two were coached by Harold Hunter and Jim Young.
He won an All A Regional Title and those Panthers became an All A Final Four Team. That was before he decided participating in All A was a distraction to the overall goal.
*One of his players, Charles “Bubba’ Wells, was drafted into the NBA by the Dallas Mavericks. He spent his final seasons as a player on the Harlem Globetrotters’ competitive team. He has been a college basketball coach for decades.
*Bubba’s teammate on the 1992 regional finalist team, Otis Key, spent several years on the Globetrotters’ primary team, including serving in the prime role as the Showman. He played pro ball in the Canary Islands and was so popular they named a candy bar for him. He has been head girls basketball coach at Volunteer State Community College for many years.
*Maurice ‘Squeaky’ Hampton, the point guard on those two state Final Four teams, helped the Austin Peay Governors reach the NCAA National Tournament as a freshman and became APSU’s best player in the first decade of this century. He played professionally overseas for many years and was named an all-star in several countries.
*DeAndre ‘Pedro’ Bradshaw was the star of his last regional finalist team in 2017. It was a great year in Fourth Region Basketball. Pedro joined Bowling Green’s Terry Taylor and Franklin-Simpson’s Tavin Lovan as Mr. Kentucky Finalists. RHS Sports Historian Greg Owens has declared him to be the all-time Panther career leader in both points scored and rebounds, passing Coach Todd for the latter honor. After playing for Belmont, Eastern Kentucky and Bellarmine, Bradshaw has spent several years playing in the NBA’s G League, last year as a teammate of UK legend Oscar Twiebwe. He played professionally in Queensland, Australia this year.
*Nathan Thompson was a starter on the 2001 Final Four team and in two other state tournaments. He later coached a semipro team to a national championship. Several of Todd’s former players were on that team. Thompson is a former RHS athletic director and head soccer and golf coach. He has also been head coach of the Logan County Cougar basketball team and is currently a Lady Cougar assistant.
*Thad Key played extensively for an NCAA Division II national championship team at Kentucky Wesleyan.
*T.C. Thomason had an excellent career at Centre College and was a two-time Kentucky Nike HoopStar.
*Ryan Davenport played basketball for Phil and later became his assistant coach on a regional finalist team. Davenport is now RHS Athletic Director and the highly successful coach of Lady Panther football/
Phil Todd was an assistant football coach for 33 seasons under Coach Ken Barrett, Bob Nelson and John Myers.
Through those football years, he was a huge part of
15 District Championships
7 Regional Championships
2 State Semi Final teams
1 State Runner up team
2 Class A State Championships.
He also served as an assistant boys track coach and assistant baseball coach
He served one season as Lady Panther Softball head coach.
He is a two-time Panther Alumni Hall of Fame member as a player and a coach, the only person so far to receive that double honor.
For his basketball career he was the first Panther to score 1,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds in his career as a 4-year starter.
He also started 4 years on the Panther baseball team. winning two district championships.
The Biggest Honor: The playing floor at Jim Young Gymnasium bears his name.
Phil’s two sons—Marquis Todd and Tyree Todd—not only played for him, but they played very well.
Phil Todd and his wife, Dr. Jenni Brown Todd, have a young daughter, Olivia.
The LoJo
Also planning to retire from high school coaching is Phil’s RHS classmate and teammate, Roger Dale Daniel.
Roger Dale has played a major role in the lives of hundreds of Russellville students in everything from the youngest football and basketball players in elementary school to becoming varsity girls and boys basketball players.
He was a positive role model for kids and families throughout his lengthy career with Russellville Parks and Recreation. He also taught a lot of them how to fire up his patented three-point shot.
His daughters, Rachae and Nakia Daniel, had outstanding careers playing for the Lady Panthers, usually with him on the bench. Ask him and he will gladly tell you about the record nine three-pointers Nakia hit in a game for Vol State.
One of Roger’s greatest contributions to Russellville basketball was helping convince Michael Morris’ family that he would fare better as a Panther than in the county where his dad was living. Michael—now a Russellville Hall of Famer—was one of the best players on those two state Final Four teams and has also been on of Phil’s assistant coaches.
Roger Daniel says he wants to spend more time with his grandchildren in retirement. That could very well translate to his coaching them in youth sports. He’s got the resume if he applies for that position.