Greenville Newspapers LLC has named Austin Phillips, 25, as sports editor for its flagship newspaper The Greenville Advocate.

&#8220I am extremely excited to be part of the The Greenville Advocate and its award winning staff,” said Phillips. &#8220I look forward to working with the members of the Greenville athletic community and also being a part of this thriving and growing area.”

Phillips is a Hueytown native and was salutatorian of his graduating class in 1999. He recently received his Master's of Arts in Journalism from the University of Alabama, where he graduated Cum Laude. He received his bachelor's degree in journalism with a minor in political science from Auburn University in 2004.

&#8220We certainly welcome Austin and we're happy to have him as a part of the family here at Greenville Newspapers,” said Group Managing Editor Kevin Pearcey. &#8220He is genuinely enthusiastic about covering youth sports in Butler County and I'm sure that the parents, coaches and student athletes will come to recognize Austin for the asset he is to our newspaper and to the community.”

Phillips was assistant sports editor at The Auburn Plainsman from 2003 -04, a sports writer at the Shelby County Reporter from 2004 - 05, and was recently sports editor of DatelineAlabama.com.

He has won numerous Alabama Press Association and Society of Professional Journalist awards.

He has covered NASCAR, Auburn and Alabama football and basketball, and Alabama high school sports.

Outside of journalism, Phillips professes an interest in college football, NASCAR, golf, fishing, traveling and New York Yankees' baseball.

He has traveled throughout the eastern United States, as well as Hawaii, the Caribbean, Colombia and Switzerland.

Phillips replaces Kevin Taylor, who was named managing editor of The Advocate's sister publication The Alex City Outlook, in April.