Personal/Academic: At East High School, Coach Willis teaches Civics, Geography, AP Human Geography, AP World History and just recently completed his Master's in Educational Leadership through Doane University.  This will be Willis' ninth year teaching and sixth at East, having spent three previous years at Elkhorn South High School.  There are few guarantees in life, however, all students in Mr. Willis' class: A) will be pushed rigorously academically, B) will be valued as individuals and classmates, & C) will feel safe/brave.  In 2017, Willis married his high school sweetheart, Shelby, and have since moved back to their hometown of Lincoln.  During their free time, the Willis family is usually outdoors spending time with their two children and beloved Poodle, Otis.  The Willis family welcomed the birth of their second child Caroline in June 2022 and are expecting the birth of a little boy in April 2024. The children keep us busy.

Coaching: Coach Willis joined the Lincoln East staff in the summer of 2018 after a successful three years coaching at Elkhorn South High School.  During his time at Elkhorn South, the Storm captured two conference championships, two district championships, one state runner-up trophy, and the 2015 Class B Girls State Cross Country championship.  Since 2018, the Spartans have continued to perform at a level that the Lincoln East community can be proud of.  Prior to his time at Elkhorn South, Coach Willis studied and ran cross country/track at Nebraska Wesleyan University ('15).  His success at NWU was immediate, qualifying for the GPAC meet seven times during his freshmen/sophomore seasons and earning all-conference honors in the 10,000 meters in 2012.  Unfortunately, injuries and illness limited Willis' final two years at NWU.  Before arriving to NWU, Willis attended Lincoln Southwest High School where he also ran cross country and track.  Upon graduating from LSW ('11), Willis had finished fifth on the all-time Cross Country 5K top ten chart and was a five-time state qualifier.  Served as a team captain at both LSW and NWU.  

Professional Experience