FLAG FOUNDATION

By Brandon Petersen

Every sport reaches a moment when growth turns into opportunity.

For women's flag football, that moment is now.

Across Southern California and throughout the country, participation continues to surge. High school programs are expanding, collegiate opportunities are multiplying, and the sport's future has never looked brighter. As Westcliff University prepares to launch its inaugural flag football program, the Warriors have turned to one of the sport's most respected builders to lead the way.

Frank Phung has spent years helping grow girls flag football at nearly every level of the game.

From organizing one of the area's early girls teams and developing athletes through club football, to leading programs at Edison High School and contributing to national talent development through USA Football, Phung has built a reputation as a coach, teacher, and advocate for the sport's continued growth.

Now, he'll bring that experience to Irvine as the founding head coach of Westcliff Flag Football.

"What led me to Westcliff was the chance to continue helping grow the game at the collegiate level while building something special from the ground up," Phung said.

For Phung, the journey began with family.

His introduction to coaching came through youth flag football, where he spent years coaching his own children. When his daughter developed an interest in the sport, he helped organize one of the early girls flag football teams in the area.

Watching those athletes develop, compete, and gain confidence sparked something deeper.

"Watching her and her teammates compete and grow sparked my passion for girls flag football and led me deeper into the sport," Phung said.

That passion eventually led him beyond youth football and into club competition, high school coaching, and national-level development opportunities. Through every step of that journey, he found himself drawn to the unique opportunities the sport creates for young women.

Now, with flag football continuing its rapid ascent across the country, Phung sees Westcliff as an opportunity to help shape the sport's future while establishing a new program from the ground up.

What attracted him most was more than the opportunity itself. It was the vision behind it.

"I was also drawn to Westcliff's commitment to growing flag football and creating opportunities for female athletes," Phung said. "Most importantly, I connected with Athletic Director Cesar Rivas and his vision for the future of Westcliff Athletics. His passion, leadership, and commitment to building successful programs made it clear this was a place where we could build something special."

Building has become a recurring theme throughout Phung's career.

It is also the foundation of his coaching philosophy.

Unlike many football coaches, some of his strongest influences came from outside the sport. Among them is Leo Vieira, widely regarded as one of the greatest Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes and coaches of all time. Vieira taught him the importance of prioritizing athlete development over short-term results and adapting systems to fit athletes rather than forcing athletes to fit a system.

Another key influence came from longtime friend and soccer coach Joe Pehanich, who helped shape his views on preparation, communication, and empowering athletes to make decisions for themselves.

Together, those lessons helped create a coaching philosophy centered on teaching, development, and long-term growth.

"I've always believed that coaching is really teaching," Phung said.

That approach is reflected in every aspect of how he works with athletes.

Rather than simply correcting mistakes, Phung focuses on helping players understand why mistakes happen and how they can improve. Whether it's a missed flag pull, a dropped pass, or a breakdown in communication, he believes meaningful coaching comes from providing athletes with practical tools they can apply moving forward.

His goal is to develop confident players who understand the game, think critically under pressure, and communicate effectively with their teammates.

"I'm also a big believer in empowering players to make decisions on the field," Phung said. "We spend a lot of time teaching concepts, helping athletes understand the advantages we're trying to create as a team, and building confident players who can think and communicate under pressure."

As Westcliff prepares for its inaugural season, Phung believes culture will be the foundation upon which everything else is built.

The core values are simple: teamwork, accountability, character, humility, and hard work.

"The biggest value I want our student-athletes to embrace is putting the team first," Phung said. "I want our players to be great teammates, support one another, communicate effectively, and understand that our success comes from working together."

For a first-year program, those principles are especially important.

Phung understands that the athletes who choose Westcliff in these early years will play a unique role in shaping the future of the program. Long after their playing careers are over, they will be remembered as the student-athletes who established the culture, standards, and expectations that future generations will inherit.

One message he frequently shares with players captures that responsibility.

"When they take their jersey off for the last time, their responsibility is to have left the program in a better place than when they arrived," Phung said.

That philosophy extends beyond wins and losses.

While Westcliff intends to compete from day one, Phung believes sustained success is created through development and process rather than shortcuts.

"Our focus will be on developing great people, exceptional student-athletes, and fundamentally sound football players," Phung said. "I've always believed that results are a byproduct of the process. If we stay committed to development and culture, the results will follow."

The long-term vision reaches even further.

Phung hopes Westcliff develops into a respected program throughout Southern California and beyond, one known not only for competitive success but for helping advance the sport itself. He sees opportunities for national and international recruiting, particularly as flag football continues to expand throughout regions such as Mexico and other emerging markets around the world.

Ultimately, he wants Westcliff to become a destination for student-athletes seeking elite competition, academic success, and the chance to be part of something meaningful.

"I hope people look at Westcliff Flag Football and see a program built on integrity, character, and excellence," Phung said. "Most of all, I hope people recognize that our founding teams helped create opportunities for future generations of athletes and established a culture that others aspire to be a part of."

For Phung, the significance of the opportunity is impossible to ignore.

There will only ever be one first team.

Only one founding coach.

Only one group of student-athletes who get the chance to build a program from the very beginning.

As Westcliff Flag Football prepares to take the field for the first time, Phung understands both the honor and responsibility that comes with that distinction.

"I'd like to thank President Anthony Lee, Athletic Director Cesar Rivas, and the entire Westcliff community for the opportunity and trust they've placed in me," Phung said. "Being selected as the founding head coach of Westcliff Flag Football is an honor and a responsibility that I take very seriously.

"I'm excited to help write the first chapter of Westcliff Flag Football."