Phillip Williamson became University of Lynchburg's director of riding in December of 2020 to lead Lynchburg in both National Collegiate Equestrian Association and Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association competition.
Williamson immediately vaulted the Hornets into the forefront of the national collegiate equestrian conversation, culminating with four National Collegiate Equestrian Association single-discipline championships in a five-year span. He won jumping seat coach of the year honors from the NCEA for his efforts three times.. Lynchburg's IHSA team also enjoyed a renaissance throughout the beginning of his tenure, and the Hornets have secured top-five finishes at IHSA Nationals in back-to-back seasons.
In the 2025-26 season, Williamson led the team to a 12-2 record in NCEA competition, headlined by earning the national title with a 6-3 victory over the College of Charleston. The Hornets conquered their their third consecutive Head-to-Head ODAC Championship by defeating Bridgewater 7-3, and Abigail Zemp claimed ODAC Flat Rider of the Year honors. In addition, newcomer Amaya Bellfield claimed the ODAC Flat Rookie of the Year and ODAC Fences Rookie of the Year awards at the conclusion of the season. To complete the season, Williamson led the group to a fourth-place finish at IHSA Nationals, which represented the best performance in team history at the event. Amaya Bellfield wrapped up her stellar freshman campaign with an individual title in the Individual Open Fences.
The Hornets wrapped up the 2024-2025 campaign with an appearance in the NCEA Semifinals, along with a fifth-place team finish at IHSA Nationals. Williamson led the group to an 8-4 record in NCEA competition, while the team secured the ODAC Head-t-Head title for the second year in a row. Fallyn Belcastro won ODAC Rider of the Year for the second consecutive year, while Williamson earned ODAC Coach of the Year honors. The team's top-five finish at IHSAs marked its first appearance as a team; the event was headlined by Ava Jackson's performance in the Team Limit Fences, finishing as a reserve champion to secure eight team points.
In Williamson's first season, the Hornets' NCEA team took home a single-discipline runner-up finish in the program's first-ever trip to the NCEA National Championships, and freshman Kelley McCormick most outstanding performer on the flat in the discipline and reached the All-Championship Team.
Williamson came to Lynchburg with a wealth of experience in the equestrian world, most recently as a riding instructor and assistant IHSA team coach at nearby Sweet Briar College, where he has mentored two IHSA Zone 4 Region 4 championship teams in two-plus years. In 2019, the Sweet Briar team finished eighth at IHSA nationals.
A Colorado native and 2016 equine studies graduate of Centenary College (now University) in Hackettstown, N.J., Williamson was an accomplished rider for the Centenary IHSA program in his own right, earning reserve high-point rider honors at the 2016 IHSA Zone 3 Region 3 championships and novice individual reserve champion accolades at the 2016 ANRC championships. He also holds a master's in coaching and sport leadership from Randolph College.
Since graduating, he has taught and ridden professionally in both New Jersey and Colorado. Williamson holds a U.S. Equestrian Federation “r” judge’s card and is a United States Hunter Jumper Association Certified Trainer. He lives in Lynchburg.
