Chris Willis spent the past two decades on staff at North Alabama in various capacities, helping the team to playoff runs and conference titles as an assistant and coordinator before rising to the head coaching seat in December of 2016.
In 2018, his second season as a head coach, Willis helped transition the program from a D-II member to the FCS ranks, and led them to an impressive 7-3 inaugural season as a Division I member.
Today, after a 1-7 start to the season, North Alabama made the difficult decision to part ways with Willis.
With the 2017 season marking his first season at the helm, Willis led the proud program to a 5-5 mark, followed by the 7-3 season in their transition year from D-II to FCS.
In years that followed UNA went 4-7, 0-4 during the COVID-impacted season, and then 3-8 last year.
Willis signed a four-year contract extension back in March of 2021 that ran through the 2024 season.
Before becoming the leader of the Lions, Willis orchestrated some of the best defenses in Division II, including a national runner-up finish in 2016 and a run to the quarterfinals in 2013.
In a classy farewell message, Willis offered the following message via social media.
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