Marshall University head football coach Mark Snyder announced the hiring of former Thundering Herd All-American Phil Ratliff as the school's new tight ends coach in May of 2006. He currently oversees the Marshall offensive tackles and tight ends.

During his time at MU, Ratliff has coached and helped to develop two-time all-conference standout and All-America candidate Cody Slate at tight end. Under his tutelage, Slate has led Marshall in receiving for two consecutive years and has finished the season among the top pass-catching tight ends in the nation.

Ratliff was a two-time All-American selection as an offensive lineman at Marshall from 1989 to 1992 and was captain of the Thundering Herd's 1992 NCAA Division I-AA National Championship team. Ratliff won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, which is presented annually to the Southern Conference Lineman of the Year, in 1992. He returns to Marshall following a two-year stint as tight ends coach at James Madison University.

During his two seasons at JMU, Ratliff helped the Dukes post a 20-6 overall record and win the 2004 NCAA Division I-AA National Championship. He also coached all-conference tight ends Casime Harris (2005) and Tom Ridley (2004).

Prior to his tenure at JMU, Ratliff was the head football coach at Spring Valley High School from 2000-2003. He led the Timberwolves to the West Virginia Class AAA state playoffs in 2001, 2002, and 2003 and was named the Mountain State Athletic Conference's Coach of the Year in 2001.

Ratliff was a student assistant at Marshall in 1993 following his collegiate career. He went on to serve as defensive coordinator at Lawrence County (Ky.) High School from 1994 to 1999. The native of Louisa, Ky., received his bachelor's degree in elementary education with a specialization in special education from Marshall in 1994. He and his wife, Jenni, have two children - a daughter, Haley, and a son, Dylan.