McDaniel College

Phil Popielski, who spent 19 seasons as an assistant coach at McDaniel College on the Women’s side from 2000-2019 with 18 of them being on the late Becky Martin’s Staff has made the leap to the Men’s Staff under 16th Year Head Coach Kevin Curley.   This will be his 20th season on the Hill.

Popielski was very influential in the success for the women’s program from under Becky Martin who had a career record of 554-349 at McDaniel. During those 19 years, he was part of seven 20-win seasons, including two Centennial Conference regular season champions. He was the number one assistant as Martin won her, 300, 400, and 500th game on the Hill. The Green Terror participated in nine Centennial Conference championship games, winning four. He was also on staff for six NCAA Tournament berths, including the 2003-04 Sweet 16 season.

Prior to his arrival on The Hill, the Clarion University graduate had coached high school basketball in both Anne Arundel and Calvert Counties for 13 years. In 1998, Popielski earned the Anne Arundel County Coach of the Year honors for his work with the Meade Senior High School’s girls’ varsity squad. While at Meade, he turned around a program that went 3-63 over a three-year span to records of 22-5 and 22-4 in his final two years.

No stranger to the Men’s game, Popielski was an assistant coach at Northern High School in Calvert County with the boys' program from 1988 to 1993. He helped take the Patriots to the state semifinals and one state final. He was also the head tennis coach at Northern, winning two SMAC and district championships. In 1994, he assisted the Annapolis girls' basketball team to the state semifinal before taking over at Meade.

Popielski’s passion for coaching extends beyond the campus at McDaniel.  Working basketball skills camps, the native of Johnsonburg, Pa., always found time to assist with either coaching or running clinics for his children’s teams when they were younger. He still works at the Wooten Camp every summer for at least two weeks.

Popielski is currently an assistant principal at Ridgely Middle School in Baltimore County. He has been in public education for over 36 years.   Popielski received his master’s degree in administration and supervision at Bowie State University in 1994.  He is active in the community as a member of the Westminster Son’s of the American Legion where he co-chairs the annual golf tournament that raises money for community and veteran organizations.

Popielski currently resides in Westminster with his wife, Stephanie, and their four children, Cassie, Michael, Sydney and Joshua.