Assistant Coach
Safeties

Chris Willis is in his sixth season on the UNA staff and will coach safeties in 2006.

Willis has helped lead UNA to two conference championships and three NCAA playoff berths in his five years at the school - including an overall 44-17 record.

He and offensive coordinator Kenny Edenfield are the only Lion assistants who have been on  Mark Hudspeth's staff every season since he came to UNA in 2002.

In his first season with UNA he coached tight ends before moving to running backs in his second season.

He also served as UNA's recruiting coordinator from 2002  to 2005.

In 2003, while helping lead the Lions to a 13-1 record that included a Gulf South Conference title and an NCAA playoff appearance, Willis coached a tandem of All-GSC runningbacks in  Demarcus Blount and  Randy Vickers.

In  2004 he moved to defense and coached the safeties, which is his current position.

North Alabama went 11-3 in 2005 and again reached the semifinals of the Division II playoffs. The Lion defense ranked among the Division II national leaders in every category, including ranking 18th in scoring defense and total defense. The Lions also picked off 21 passes and ranked ninth nationally in turnover margin.

Last season UNA was 11-1, won a GSC title and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Division II playoffs.  On that team, Willis coached All-GSC and All-South Region pick Derrell Ashford.

Prior to coming to UNA, Willis served as recruiting coordinator and coached numerous positions at Delta State University for three years. He joined the DSU staff in 1999 under Steve Campbell as a graduate assistant.

In 2000  the Statesmen  won the NCAA Division II National Championship at Braly Stadium, with Willis working along side current UNA Head Coach Mark Hudspeth with the running backs and quarterbacks.

 In 2001, he worked with then DSU offensive coordinator and former UNA quarterback Cody Gross, who led the Lions to three national titles as a player.

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 second 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.  He was born February 2, 1974 and is married to the former Tara Beausoliel of Greenville, Miss.

WILLIS' COACHING EXPERIENCE
Yrs Position
 

1999  Assistant Coach   Delta State University

2000  Assistant Coach   Delta State University         GSC Champs/NCAA Champions

2001  Assistant Coach   Delta State University

2002  Assistant Coach   University of North Alabama  

2003  Assistant Coach   University of North Alabama     GSC Champs/NCAA Semifinals

2004  Assistant Coach   University of North Alabama        

2005  Assistant Coach   University of North Alabama     NCAA Semifinals

2006  Assistant Coach   University of North Alabama   GSC Champs/NCAA Quarterfinals