McNichol to be inducted into the Hall of Fame

Photo: Phil McNichol 1987 in Porter Heights New Zealand

It’s confirmed, Phil McNichol is a member of the class of 2022 United States Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. His induction will occur at the Big Sky Resort on Saturday, March 25, 2023. He is best known as the US Ski Team’s Men’s Head Coach during a successful period between 2003 to 2008. However, for a prominent industry member, McNichol’s skiing story is unique. Perhaps even more telling is how his teammates remember their experiences working by his side.

McNichol’s unusual start in skiing

A native of Connecticut, the son of two carpet store owners, McNichol is from a family who didn’t ski. He states, “My passion was fueled more by what I couldn’t have than what I had. No one else in my family skied and I started to ski and ski race by tagging along with friends. My parents passed away, never seeing me ski a day in their lives.” 

With a chuckle, McNichol continues, “My first pair of skis were hand-me-downs from a friend’s brother. I remember commenting that they seemed a bit long. I was told I would grow into them.  But I pressed him to tell me how tall they should be, which he indicated only by holding his hand over his head. So I sawed them off in the basement and screwed some bindings on. That was my first pair of skis.”

Success at the highest level

Notably, McNichol is best known as the Men’s Head US Ski Team Coach for six very successful seasons. Starting in the 2002-03 season, he led a program that allowed American stars like Bode Miller, Daron Rahlves and Ted Ligety to showcase their exceptional talent. During his time as head coach, the men’s program finished second in the Nations Cup standings in 2005 and 2006. Switzerland or Austria usually occupies second in the Nations Cup. However, when McNichol reflects, he tributes the team’s success to the athletes and staff he worked with. 

During the six seasons, McNichol led the program, an average of ten athletes scored points per season. But the average U.S. finish in the Men’s Nations Cup standings was just over 3rd. McNichol, however, credits the amazing athletes like Miller, Rahlves and Ligety, who regularly won and then acknowledges the many other skiers who significantly contributed to the team’s success. Additionally, he gives himself credit for putting together an American staff that provided world-class programs for world-class athletes. Looking back, he realizes his contribution produced a productive team with great programs. “I hired great people, worked as hard as I could, and never stopped looking for better solutions,” says McNichol.

Less than a direct path to coaching

McNichol also acknowledges luck. He had given up skiing and didn’t even own ski equipment when he decided to transfer to a university in the West. On his way to look at the schools, he stopped in Flagstaff to visit a friend. While there, it snowed a meter; he borrowed skis and had his first significant deep powder experience. That experience would eventually change the path of his life. He decided to stay in Arizona, applied to Northern Arizona University, and shortly after that, he became a coach with the local ski team. 

His work ethic and charismatic personality led him from Flagstaff to leadership positions in Vail, Park City, and the U.S. Development Team. Believing he needed to change the direction of his life, he eventually quit his coaching position with the D team. However, on his way out the door, Bill Eagan offered him a job as an assistant to Europa Cup Head Speed Coach Johno McBride. It wasn’t long before he was Europa Cup tech coach and then head Europa Cup coach. Finally, after the 2002 Olympic season, Jesse Hunt, then alpine director, offered McNichol the lead coaching role for the Men’s World Cup team. The team’s impressive success at the Olympics, World Championships, and on World Cup while he was the leading the team certainly earned him his entry into the Hall of Fame. 

McNichol reveals the secret sauce

Regardless, McNichol takes a moment to consider the question, what were the reasons for your success? McNichol finally responds, “Chemistry, culture, and team environment always create the magic. People matter; changing a couple of athletes or staff members creates many ripples in the pond. I believed an American staff could compete with the world’s best; I knew they could. As soon as I took the Head Coach position, I began repopulating the staff with North Americans. There was such an open, shared respect within the program. Everybody was willing to help everybody. It created a unique culture and environment.”

McNichol continues, “Everyone did everything. There was hierarchy per se, but we worked hard not to have much weight placed on titles and hierarchy; it helped. I think the level of sharing, openness, and the fact that everyone could do multiple tasks and lean in to help at any time was something special. It didn’t matter whether it was your group or your athlete, as a team; we were pulling in the same direction.”

Some of the United States’ best are thankful for their experiences with McNichol

Many of our best coaches and athletes, who participated with McNichols on the USST, confirm his perceptions.

Daron Rahlves Athlete

Daron Rahlves says, “Phil had the skills to see the big picture and provided our team with resources to set us up for success. He organized an incredibly dynamic group of alpine coaches that helped us as athletes in every way.

Phil can uniquely balance being serious and enjoying getting the job done. Indeed, he has a passion for skiing and drives for team success, but he does it in a way that allows him to enjoy and embrace life on the tour. We all shared that as a team and were a force to be reckoned with. He’s now building a strong Canadian team which is already showing speed.”

Coach Johno McBride

Johno McBride is one of the most successful ski coaches in history and both mentored McNichol and ran the World Cup speed program for him. McBride says, “Phil leads in a way that empowers his staff.  He has always been a big talker but also a good listener. I greatly respect Phil because he trusted the people who worked for him and was never a micro-manager. Understanding the importance of human relationships has always been one of his strengths. Phil has great energy, enthusiasm and passion for the sport and the team. These qualities inspired all of us fortunate enough to work with him.”

Erik Schlopy Athlete

Erik Schlopy fondly remembers his time on the team with McNichol. Schlopy comments, “Phil brought a unique skill set of finding and hiring American coaches and allowing them to create a winning culture with the athletes. He understood the chemistry certain people would bring to the table and prioritized that over other standard ways of thinking. He operated “outside of the box” and assembled an amazing coaching staff. The result was a great collaboration between athletes and coaches.”

Schlopy continues, “Phil’s ability to see the big picture was unparalleled. He could always see something special in each athlete and coach. Phil was a strong leader but he was always approachable and open-minded. He kept things fun for everyone, allowing us athletes to stay fresh during a grueling season.”

Coach Sasha Rearick

Sasha Rearick took the reins as the head coach after McNichol departed from the U.S. Ski Team. Rearick shares, “He hired and mentored me from assistant Europa Cup coach to head men’s World Cup tech coach. He seriously brought forward confidence that we as Americans belong on tour and should be ourselves. I admired Phil’s hard work and passion for the sport and people. I sometimes miss his epic expressions mixing random words to describe something in great color.”

Back in the game

McNichol is doing it all over again. The exhaustion and personal price of his time with the U.S. Ski Team encouraged him to take a long break from full-time commitments to the elite levels of ski racing. However, fate has brought him a new challenge and back to the highest levels of the sport. McNichol is now the Alpine High-Performance Director for Alpine Canada Alpin. Once again, he is letting a solid group of Canadian athletes and staff lead the way into the future. They are experiencing great results. 

Regardless, some of the best-ever U.S. skiers and coaches. regard McNichol very highly. He is a deserving and welcome member of the Hall of Fame Class of 2022. 

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