Hometown: Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
High School: Santa Margarita Catholic High School
Phillip Wanlin attended Santa Margarita Catholic High School, in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. He attended Contra Costa College, where he played both football and baseball, and was recruited to transfer to USF on a scholarship. Wanlin transferred to USF and played both sports for the Dons. During Wanlin’s senior year, he tried out as a quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, but was not selected. He returned to USF as a Student Assistant to the football team and graduated in 1969. 
 
After graduation, Wanlin started his professional teaching and coaching career at Salesian High School in Richmond, CA. Seven years later, he moved to Albany High School where he remained for 35 years prior to retirement.
Last Saturday night at Kezar, the USF footballers made it two in a row with a bruising 18-8 victory over the stubborn Claremont-Mudd Stags. Once again it was Phil Wanlin pacing the Hilltop attack, completing fourteen passes for 208 yards and scoring two touchdowns on eleven and eight-yard runs. The Dons, except for one stretch in the third quarter, seemed pretty much in command of this one. In racking up three teedees, USF avenged successive shutouts of 7-0 and 6-0 to the Stags in 1964 and 1965, bringing the team to a 1-2 mark for the series (TheFoghorn).