Overwhelmed.

That's the word Phillip DiGuglielmo uses when talking about these past three months.

The Bay Area coach is still riding on clouds after helping guide Alysa Liu to the Olympic gold medal in February, and subsequently, being named "Best Coach" by the International Skating Union in March during the World Championships in Prague.

Following more than 93,000 votes cast by fans worldwide, a distinguished jury of figure skating experts helped to determine the winners of the Most Entertaining Program, Best Costume, Best Coach and Best Choreographer categories.

"What I've been thinking about so much is where you go from here," he said in a phone call on May 11. "My friends all keep joking that it's all downhill from here. Well, maybe it is. I don't know."

DiGuglielmo, with nearly three decades of coaching experience, calls it "crazy" to have stood on stage with all the other nominees and accept the prestigious award.

"To be even listed with the other nominees …," he said. "I realize that it's [the award] attached to your athlete's performance, but all of those coaches through the years have helped develop so many amazing skaters, so it was just an honor to be up there and listed with them in the first place."

"I think it's validation for the hard work that coaches put in all the years they take to develop," DiGuglielmo added. "I didn't start off as an elite coach and I still don't see myself as an elite coach, but I feel like I put in the work to make myself better all the time, to push myself, to understand the rules better, to understand technique better, to understand childhood development and skill development better. It does feel good that all that work has really paid off."

Fellow Olympian and three-time and reigning U.S. champion Amber Glenn's coach Damon Allen was also nominated for the coveted honor.

In the days after receiving the news of the "Best Coach" nomination, DiGuglielmo and Liu's choreographer/coach, Massimo Scali, boarded a plane to Prague. Before they left, they texted Liu and told her about the pending honor.

"She was thrilled for us," DiGuglielmo said. "I am glad that Massimo was able to come because he's such a big part of the team. Just to stand up there in front of my adopted ISU family and all of the athletes, and have Massimo and Justin [Dillon, senior director of athlete high performance at U.S. Figure Skating] there with the rest of our World team, it was great to have that support."

The pathway for Olympic success, he said, was paved in advance of the marquee competition. Everything was planned out and Liu executed her programs with her usual joyful and effortless style, and immense talent.

"We learn from Alysa, too," DiGuglielmo said. "Her attitude is infectious. I think that it's rubbed off on us. This is how I've always wanted to be able to interact with an athlete. Same thing with Massimo. So when the right athlete comes around and you can interact with them and you can develop with them like that, it is magic."

In Jamestown, New York, recently, DiGuglielmo continued to receive many heartfelt congratulations from peers who aspire to coach at the elite level.

"They have seen me all these years and they know that I'm just as proud to stand there with a kid who gets last at nationals as a kid who gets first at the Olympics," he said. "They see that. Three of my greatest moments at nationals — I had a senior lady get last, a junior lady get last and a novice man get last. I wouldn't change any of those experiences for anything in the world. They worked hard. I supported them. I'm still proud of them and their performances, just as proud as I am of Alysa."

Also contributing to that "overwhelming" feeling, Liu presented the Order of Ikkos medallion to her coaches.

The award from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee goes to a coach, mentor, or supporter who significantly contributes to the athlete's success.

"That award that Alysa gave us means more than any other award I've ever received," DiGuglielmo said. "Alysa went out there and won the hearts of I don't know how many millions of people who watched her performance. That Order of Ikkos medal that she gave to us meant that we won her heart and that she trusted us with her career. That's more special to me. I'm grateful for the ISU award and U.S. Figure Skating's Coach of the Year honor [in 2025], but the Order of Ikkos is the only award that brought me to tears."

As DiGuglielmo continues to build on his coaching resume, he remains focused on sharing his knowledge and expertise as a member of the U.S. Figure Skating Coaches Council.

He is a leader in coaching education and often participates in U.S. Figure Skating camps and seminars.

"My greatest belief is we want the best skaters to be from America," he said. "So if we have the best coaches in the world, we can have the best skaters. That would be my life's work that one day we can have enough coaches to help.

"If Alysa's performance can bring in 200,000 new kids into Learn to Skate, we are going to have to have good coaches to teach them. Where are they? We don't have enough coaches right now who are well-educated, who understand the development, that understand the rules, that want to be in this career."

Liu, he said, "is keeping figure skating in the spotlight more than anybody else since maybe Dorothy Hamill. Alysa is becoming a cultural icon."

DiGuglielmo's success is something that U.S. Figure Skating's coaching fraternity is extremely proud of, as he's navigated the ranks to become an accredited master coach and U.S. national technical specialist. He's also served as the U.S. Figure Skating Coaches Committee chair and Singles Development Committee chair.

 "Phillip stands out to me as a home-grown American coach who achieved what many coaches aspire to reach — coaching at the Olympic Games," Heidi Thibert, director of coach development and education at U.S. Figure Skating, said. "Many of us have forged deep relationships with him. Phillip might have volunteered as much of his time and expertise as he has spent coaching. This background speaks to both his longevity and credibility within the coaching community."

She added, "When I think about Phillip, the image that emerges is of a coach who blends realism with empathy, technical precision with a respect for individuality. This is evident from his work with Alysa, both before she 'retired' and after she returned. Phillip has worked hard to understand the demands of elite competition while remaining focused on empowering Alysa to skate with confidence, artistry and ownership. In that way, he is a steady, thoughtful presence, with a coaching philosophy that is rooted in support rather than control. Phillip's approach was a catalyst in Alysa's development not just as a competitor, but as a complete performer full of joy for her sport."

Editor's note: DiGuglielmo and other top U.S. coaches have been nominated for the 2025-26 Coach Ice Recognition Awards, which will be presented on Thursday evening during the U.S. Figure Skating Impact Summit.