Chris Willis has been named Davidson's head volleyball coach.
Davidson Names Chris Willis Head Volleyball Coach
2/25/2011 2:20:00 PM | Volleyball
DAVIDSON, N.C. — Davidson Director of Athletics Jim Murphy announced today that the college has named Chris Willis head coach of the volleyball program. Willis, who becomes the seventh head coach in the program's history, was an assistant coach at Davidson under Lisa Marston for two seasons from 1995-97.
Willis spent the past seven seasons as the head volleyball coach at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Mo., where he led the Lions to their first NCAA Tournament bid and a Top-25 ranking for only the second time in program history. He compiled a 104-126 overall record over seven seasons to leave as the program's third winningest coach, and coached one Division II All-American, six all-region and 19 all-conference players over his tenure. Four of his seven teams were ranked in the regional polls, and in 2006, he led the Lions to a 23-12 record, a national ranking, an appearance in the Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) Tournament and a berth in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional.
Willis' teams have also been successful off the court, earning the athletic department's Highest Team GPA Award at Missouri Southern for the 2010 winter semester. Over seven seasons, he placed 40 student-athletes on the MIAA Commissioners Academic Honor Roll.
Prior to taking over the program at Missouri Southern, Willis worked as an assistant coach at Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo., for five seasons (1999-2004), where he was responsible for setter training, game management, film exchange, scouting, booster clubs and summer camps. He helped the team to its first Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Championship and NCAA tournament bid in 10 years, and coached an All-American, an MVC Conference Player of the Year and 26 all-conference selections.
Willis also spent two seasons as an assistant at both Northern Arizona University (1997-99) in Flagstaff, Ariz., and Davidson (1995-1997). At Northern Arizona, Willis was responsible for outside hitter training, maintaining and developing the recruiting database, film exchange and managing the Lumberjack Court fundraising project and summer camps. He coached six all-conference players, including one Big Sky Conference Player of the Year.
Under Marston, Willis was responsible for training setters, developing and implementing the strength and conditioning program, film exchange and analysis and handling travel arrangements during his two seasons at Davidson. He began his coaching career in 1994 at Harris Stowe State College in St. Louis, Mo., where he was responsible for all aspects of coaching, training, recruiting and development within the volleyball program.
Willis earned his B.A. degree in psychology in 1991 from Baylor University, where he was a four-year letterwinner, setter and team captain for the men's volleyball team. He also holds an M.S. in human performance and sport studies from the University of Tennessee, where he was a setter for the 1993-94 men's volleyball team.
In addition to his coaching experience, Willis has taught classes in social aspects of physical education, lifetime wellness, volleyball theory and volleyball at Missouri Southern, Missouri State and Northern Arizona. He was a member of the NCAA D-II Regional Advisory Committee from 2005-07 and the NCAA D-II Awards Committee from 2006-10. An American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) member since 1994, Willis was the MVC representative on the AVCA D-I Assistant Coaches Committee during the 2003-04 season, and he is CAP Level II, IMPACT teacher and ACEP certified.
Willis spent the past seven seasons as the head volleyball coach at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Mo., where he led the Lions to their first NCAA Tournament bid and a Top-25 ranking for only the second time in program history. He compiled a 104-126 overall record over seven seasons to leave as the program's third winningest coach, and coached one Division II All-American, six all-region and 19 all-conference players over his tenure. Four of his seven teams were ranked in the regional polls, and in 2006, he led the Lions to a 23-12 record, a national ranking, an appearance in the Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) Tournament and a berth in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional.
Willis' teams have also been successful off the court, earning the athletic department's Highest Team GPA Award at Missouri Southern for the 2010 winter semester. Over seven seasons, he placed 40 student-athletes on the MIAA Commissioners Academic Honor Roll.
Prior to taking over the program at Missouri Southern, Willis worked as an assistant coach at Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo., for five seasons (1999-2004), where he was responsible for setter training, game management, film exchange, scouting, booster clubs and summer camps. He helped the team to its first Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Championship and NCAA tournament bid in 10 years, and coached an All-American, an MVC Conference Player of the Year and 26 all-conference selections.
Willis also spent two seasons as an assistant at both Northern Arizona University (1997-99) in Flagstaff, Ariz., and Davidson (1995-1997). At Northern Arizona, Willis was responsible for outside hitter training, maintaining and developing the recruiting database, film exchange and managing the Lumberjack Court fundraising project and summer camps. He coached six all-conference players, including one Big Sky Conference Player of the Year.
Under Marston, Willis was responsible for training setters, developing and implementing the strength and conditioning program, film exchange and analysis and handling travel arrangements during his two seasons at Davidson. He began his coaching career in 1994 at Harris Stowe State College in St. Louis, Mo., where he was responsible for all aspects of coaching, training, recruiting and development within the volleyball program.
Willis earned his B.A. degree in psychology in 1991 from Baylor University, where he was a four-year letterwinner, setter and team captain for the men's volleyball team. He also holds an M.S. in human performance and sport studies from the University of Tennessee, where he was a setter for the 1993-94 men's volleyball team.
In addition to his coaching experience, Willis has taught classes in social aspects of physical education, lifetime wellness, volleyball theory and volleyball at Missouri Southern, Missouri State and Northern Arizona. He was a member of the NCAA D-II Regional Advisory Committee from 2005-07 and the NCAA D-II Awards Committee from 2006-10. An American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) member since 1994, Willis was the MVC representative on the AVCA D-I Assistant Coaches Committee during the 2003-04 season, and he is CAP Level II, IMPACT teacher and ACEP certified.
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