Chris Willis Hired as Head Football Coach at UNA
Courtesy of North Alabama Sports Information
FLORENCE, Ala. - After helping lead the University of North Alabama to 12 playoff appearances and seven conference championships in his 15 seasons on the coaching staff, Chris Willis was named as the 10th head football coach in UNA history Thursday in an announcement by UNA Athletic Director Mark Linder.
An assistant coach at North Alabama under Mark Hudspeth, Terry Bowden and Bobby Wallace, Willis served the Lions as defensive coordinator for the last five seasons and directed defensive efforts that helped UNA become the first school in Gulf South Conference history to win four straight league championships. This past season the Lions were No. 1 in Division II in passing efficiency defense, third in scoring defense, fourth in interceptions and 20th in total defense as UNA went 11-2 and reached the national championship game.
Linder said elevating Willis was an easy decision.
"In every search for a head coach, we look at individual character, the ability to recruit and their professional pedigree," Linder said. "When you look at his body of work, we have known Chris for 15 years on our staff and we know he is a man of character. We also know he has the ability to recruit excellent student-athletes. And his coaching pedigree includes working with Steve Campbell, Mark Hudspeth, Terry Bowden and Bobby Wallace and he has excelled with all of them. In his 15 years here at UNA we have a 139-45 record, have won seven conference championships and been in the playoffs 12 times. Those numbers speak for themselves."
Linder said that Willis has not signed a contract yet but that it would be a multiple-year contract and would be finalized following the holiday break.
A 1998 graduate of Delta State University, Willis initially joined the UNA staff in 2002 under Mark Hudspeth and coached tight ends. He then coached running backs in 2003 before moving to the defensive secondary from 2004-11. Wallace elevated Willis to defensive coordinator in 2012 and also assistant head coach. Willis also served as UNA's recruiting coordinator from 2002 to 2005.
As a student-athlete, Willis spent two years at Itawamba Community College on a football/baseball scholarship. He was a pitcher on the baseball team that claimed the school's first state championship in 1993. He was quarterback at Aberdeen (Miss.) High School where, in 1990, he led his team to the third round of the playoffs as the team posted a school best 12-1 record. In his last two seasons at Aberdeen, he quarterbacked the Bulldogs to a 20-2 record before his graduation in 1992.
Willis received his Bachelor's Degree in Education in 1998 from Delta State and his Master's Degree in Education in 1999 from Delta State. While at DSU, he also taught in the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department.
Born on born February 2, 1974, Willis is married to the former Tara Beausoliel of Greenville, Miss. They have three sons, Beau (9), Cody (7) and Drew (3).