Philip LaBella enters his 10th year at Lafayette and his fourth as the Sports Information Director. LaBella arrived on College Hill in October of 1998 and began a three-year term as the Publications Coordinator, and two years as the Sports Information Coordinator.

LaBella supervises the publicity of the school's 23 varsity sports. He works closely with and travels with the men's basketball, football and baseball programs. LaBella's first year at Lafayette was highlighted by two trips to the NCAA Tournament, one by the men's basketball team for the first time in 42 years, and the other by the men's soccer team.

Prior to coming to Lafayette, LaBella worked as an intern in the University of Cincinnati's sports information office where he was responsible for publicity of its nationally-ranked women's soccer team and six other olympic sports.

In May 1998, LaBella graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication from the Russell J. Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass Communication at St. Bonaventure University. While at St. Bonaventure, he spent four years working in the athletic communications office. In his final two years, LaBella worked as the Student Assistant Sports Information Director, a job that placed him in charge of publicity for the women's basketball team and allowed him the opportunity to travel with the squad. LaBella also split time writing for The Bradford Era, a local daily newspaper and The Bona Venture, the campus newspaper.

Professionally, LaBella is a member of CoSIDA and ECAC-SIDA. He has volunteered at several national sporting events on the media relations side, working at the 2000 U.S. Senior Open, the 2000 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament East Regional in Syracuse and at the 1999 Women's Basketball Tournament Mid-East Regional in Cincinnati.

LaBella is currently finishing his master's degree in Sport and Recreation Administration at Temple University. He and his wife, Julie, both originally hail from Eldred, Pa. and currently reside in Stockertown, Pa. They welcomed their first child, Maggie, in August 2007.