Phil Kopinski joined the Scarlet Hawks men's cross country program as head coach in 2003. Since his arrival at Illinois Tech, the men's team has seen significant improvement. In his 6 years, the men from IIT have captured the CCAC crown and twice been its runner up. Along with the team success the Scarlet Hawks have had 15 All-Conference selections and 12 national qualifiers in that same span. A 1994 graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago, Kopinski was a four-year letter winner at UIC where he helped lead the Flames to their best-ever finish at the Mid-Continent Conference Championships in 1991.

Before joining Illinois Tech, he spent nine years working as an Athletic Trainer at the high school, college, and clinical settings as well as the head ATC in professional sports for six of them, two years in the Arena Football League (CHI), and four seasons in the United Hockey League (WSM,MUSK). Kopinski also serves as IIT's head Athletic Trainer (ATC/L), overseeing the conditioning and rehabilitation of the university's intercollegiate athletes.

Phil resides in the near west suburbs with his wife Joan and their son Cooper.