Richie Willis began as Academy of Art University women's basketball assistant coach in August 2021.
Part of the coaching staff that guided the Urban Knights to the program's best season in the last six years, Willis helped return Academy of Art women's basketball to the NCAA Tournament after finishing third in the Pacific West Conference regular season standings and reaching the
PacWest Championship Tournament title game in 2021-22. En route to a campaign that saw new program single-season records for scoring defense (61.0) and blocks per game (5.2), ART U's tenacious defense led to four different players earning
PacWest Defender of the Week (six weekly awards in total) and a trio of
All-PacWest Team selections including freshman forward/center Alisha Wilson who, during the regular season, not only led the
PacWest in both rebounds per game (11.0) and double-doubles (13), but also ranked 17th and 22nd in NCAA Division II in those respective categories (the lone freshman in the top 38 of rebounds) while remaining fourth in the country in offensive rebounds per game (4.8). Both junior guard Chanel Stuart and freshman guard Milan Tuttle would end up on the
PacWest All-Tournament Team after the Knights defeated
UH Hilo and
Point Loma on back-to-back days to make the tournament final, pushing the team's season-best win streak to seven games.
As the director and head coach of the 16U Division of the 602 Lady Nation Basketball Club since 2016, Willis was responsible for everything from practices to community service projects to administrative duties within the program. Following a philosophy rooted in hard work, Lady Nation went 12-5 in All-Star Girls Report circuit competition last summer and had nine of its players go to pursue collegiate basketball careers including ART U’s own Brooke Rodgers.
Alongside his work with Lady Nation, Willis served as the varsity girls basketball head coach at Cactus Shadows High School from 2012 to 2021. His teams compiled a 163-88 overall record in those nine seasons with the Falcons going undefeated in league play on four occasions.
Prior to his two most recent roles, Willis spent one year as the head coach of junior varsity girls basketball and head assistant coach of the varsity team at Tolleson Union High School in 2011-12. The varsity squad went 25-8 overall that season, reaching the playoffs.
From 2007 to 2011, Willis could be found on the sidelines at Verrado High School, also as the junior varsity girls basketball head coach and varsity head assistant coach. The junior varsity contingent went 9-7 in his final season while the varsity team steadily improved its record over that time.
A four-year starter and three-time Frontier All-First Team student-athlete who led the team in assists and steals three out of four seasons, Willis earned his bachelor's degree in Business Technology along with an associate degree in Physical Education/Secondary Education from Montana State University-Northern in 1990.
