The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
11.25.2015 | Football, Texas Athletics
Phil Scott, a Coast Guard veteran and IT manager at the Frank Erwin Center, will be honored before Thursday’s Texas Football game against Texas Tech.
When you're providing technological support to an arena that hosts basketball games, graduations, a circus and variety of other events, it probably helps if you spent your formative years with a group whose ethos is "always ready."
Phil Scott, who currently serves as IT manager at the Frank Erwin Center, served nine years in the Coast Guard (1972-81) as an electronic technician specializing in long-range navigation along coastlines in Vietnam, Europe and Thailand.
"A lot of the responsibilities that I have now are easy to do because of what I had to do in the military, particularly in the Coast Guard where you have to do so much with so little," Scott said. "The Coast Guard motto is Semper Paratus (always ready), and that attitude has paid off in the 30 years I've been at UT."
On Thursday, as Texas Football hosts Texas Tech, Scott will be recognized by the Texas Lottery as the honorary veteran of the game and accompany both teams to midfield for the coin toss.
Scott grew up outside of Houston, and his family knew many Coast Guard veterans. Scott was in the Vietnam draft lottery and then after a one-year deferment during his freshman year at the University of Texas, he decided to join the Coast Guard.
After initially being based in Michigan on an ice breaker, Scott went through secondary school and was placed at a duty station in Vietnam. Scott and his crew were basically creating GPS technology before it existed.
"I was a high school geek, so electronics made the most sense," Scott said. "We provided navigational (assistance) and did a variety of things for submarines and ships."
Following his service, Scott returned to UT and studied engineering.
"(I) went from scholastic probation to Dean's List," Scott said. "Nine years in military gives you maturity."
Scott spent several years post-graduation working in the private sector but has been with the Frank Erwin Center for three decades. The constantly changing environment keeps his interest engaged.
"I like my job, I like the people," Scott said. "We do athletics, concerts. The variety is here."
He says he still stays in touch with a few of his crewmates. That bond never goes away, nor does the desire to serve.
"If I had the opportunity to do it again, I would," Scott said. "No matter how bad it got, you could persevere. We were in a lot of undesirable areas out in the world, and being able to adapt to other cultures has given me wisdom and tolerance. (The Coast Guard) also gave me the opportunity to travel around the world."
Thanks to the Texas Lottery, great things are happening all across Texas. Every year, more than a billion dollars goes to good causes like public education and veterans assistance programs.
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