The Magpies lost to the Manawatu Turbos in the final and, for the second consecutive year, failed to gain promotion to the Premiership.
"It's disappointing to fall at the final hurdle, though, and everyone's still feeling that with some people still under the beach towel, definitely.
"But to have won the Ranfurly Shield and locked it away has been great," he said.
It's the most depth, Philpott says, the Magpies have had in many positions for a long time.
For the next three to four months he will recruit to rebuild the stocks.
Of the 2015 Super Rugby graduates, Philpott singles out Michael Allardice's draft with the Chiefs as the most satisfying.
"Michael, I thought, played really well last year as well and was pretty close to knocking on a few doors.
"To see him picked up, by arguably New Zealand's most successful franchise in the past few seasons, is great."
The signing of Fruean (Crusaders), who arrived here last winter following heart surgery, also pleases.
"Robbie was a great story coming here with a lot of people having doubts and question marks over his ability to play.
"I think he played all bar 10 minutes of the entire season."
Philpott, who liaised with the Crusaders' hierarchy, received positive reinforcement for embracing Fruean.
"They said 'Look, you guys in Hawke's Bay got this guy a contract by proving to him and everyone else he can play for 80 minutes, every game week in, week out'," he reveals, heaping kudos on Magpies trainer Grant Dearns for that transformation.
Finding out the Chiefs had cut Fruean loose during the business end of the cup would have knocked the stuffing out of many players but the Clive midfielder kept a steely resolve.
"It's a credit to the professionalism of the guy that he didn't let it impact on us at all. He didn't even talk about it with us.
"We were aware of it but for him it was just about going out to perform for us at a key time, getting towards the end of the shield campaign.
"It was getting close to the semifinals time when we didn't need any distractions and he didn't let it become one."
Is there a Magpie who was hard done by in the Super cull?
Versatile flanker Tony Lamborn fits that bill for Philpott.
"I think he's had an outstanding season as a loosie."
He was on the radar with some of the Kiwi franchises but missed out, although the coach wonders if the Havelock North club player should have picked up a wider-training group berth with the Hurricanes or the Blues.
"As it's turned out, he hasn't but he's the kind of guy who'll treat it as a challenge next year.
"Tony's likely to be called in as cover for injuries so that's where he sits at the moment."
Horrell's four-month recovery from surgery is on track so he will be training with the Chiefs half way through their pre-season programme.
Utility back and rugby league convert Ryan Tongia had made a sacrifice to leave his young family behind in Australia to build his career.
"He's got a 5-year-old son and he's missed his four or five-month-old development just to come out here to play club rugby for Havelock North to make the squad."
Tongia went on to become the top try scorer in the cup. His family relocated to the Bay and have since moved to Dunedin.
The Magpies are itching to return next season.
"We have nobody saying they don't want to be playing here next year."
Canadian prop Jason Marshall will be a glaring omission because of Rugby World Cup commitments.
Crusaders-bound Ged Robinson will be the other absentee as he returns to Christchurch where the family is expecting another child.
"I'm in favour of keeping a winning team together but we'll go through a proper review to look at the young talent coming through the Bay as well."
Magpies picks
Mark Abbott (Hurricanes, NOBM), Michael Allardice (Chiefs, Napier Pirates), Richard Buckman (Highlanders, Tech), Geoff Cridge (Hurricanes, Hastings), Israel Dagg (Crusaders, Pirates), Ash Dixon (Highlanders, Tech), Brendon Edmonds (Highlanders, Havelock Nth), Gareth Evans (Highlanders, Havelock Nth), Ben Franks (Hurricanes, MAC), Robbie Fruean (Crusaders, Clive), Andrew Horrell (Chiefs, Taradale), Brendon O'Connor (Blues, Pirates), Hugh Renton (Hurricanes wider training group, Lindisfarne College), Ged Robinson (Crusaders, Central), Ryan Tongia (Highlanders wider training group, Havelock Nth) and Ihaia West (Blues, Havelock Nth).
