Willis Hired as New Tyler Lee Head Football Coach

TYLER – On Thursday, the Tyler ISD board of trustees approved TISD Athletic Director Greg Priest’s recommendation of Joe Willis as the new head football coach for Robert E. Lee High School. When asked about his State Title in 2012 Coach Willis told KTBB, “you know anytime you accomplish that kind of goal, a lot of things had to go right. There’s got to be a lot of good things in place, there’s got to be a great administration that supports athletics and believes in the mission of football really, and then you’ve got to have great kids, and you put those kind of combinations together. I’ll be honest, I would not be here today, if I did not feel like that could happen right here in Tyler and you can have something special. You play right next to Christmas and that’s really what our goal is.”

Willis comes to Tyler ISD from Colleyville Heritage, where he was the head football coach and boys athletic coordinator. Coach Willis has 28 years of experience and 11 years experience as a head coach. Coach Willis has a 99-42 head coaching record with a 2012 State Championship and a State runner-up finish in 2014. While at Colleyville Heritage, Coach Willis had a 40-22 record and has taken them to the state quarterfinals twice, once in 2016 and again in 2019. Coach Willis comes to Tyler along with his wife, Amber, and children, Bradley, Daniel, and Malia.

“I am excited to have Joe Willis as the new head football coach at Robert E. Lee,” Priest said. “During our search, we were looking for a proven winner, someone with energy, and someone with a vision for building a program at all levels. Coach Willis checked all of those boxes and we look forward to him leading the Red Raider program.” “My family and I are excited to join Tyler ISD and Tyler Lee as their Head Football Coach and Campus Coordinator,” Willis said.

“I am looking forward to being a part of a new and exciting vision that is centered on serving and preparing our young people for the many challenges of today’s competitive world. I believe in the standard of providing an unmatched educational experience for the young people at Lee, and I can’t wait to attack that mission by collaborating with faculty and staff to create a culture of competitive excellence and championship behaviors both on and off the field.”