Colleyville Heritage’s Joe Willis headed to east Texas after five years with Panthers
After five seasons, Colleyville Heritage head football coach Joe Willis is headed east to take the same position at Tyler Lee, which was first reported by the Tyler Morning Telegraph.
Tyler ISD school board approved the hiring during Thursday night’s board meeting, according to the Telegraph’s Brandon Ogden.
Willis also tweeted about the move Thursday morning.
“It was such a pleasure to serve the student athletes of Colleyville Heritage the last five years,” he said. “Too many great memories and relationships to count with CHHS football. So proud of the kids and coaches there that deserve all the credit for our success. A new chapter begins.”
Willis went 40-23 with the Panthers after arriving in 2015. He came over from Cedar Park, where he led the program to the Class 5A Division 2 state title game in 2014. He’s won 99 games in his career.
While with CHHS, the Panthers made the playoffs all five seasons under Willis, including a 9-5 mark this season with a trip to the 5A Division 1 state quarterfinals.
The Panthers went 10-4 and to the state quarters in 2016, Willis’ second year. It marked the program’s deepest playoff run in 10 years. The following season, CHHS went 11-2. The Panthers scored 627 points, most during the Willis era.
During his time, Willis has produced a large group of college football players, which includes offensive tackle Gavin Byers (Baylor signee). Byers, kicker Chase Allen and defensive back Luke Mabe were named to the Class 5A all-state first team. Mabe was also named Fort Worth Star-Telegram defensive player of the year.
Other college football players that played for Willis at CHHS: Kameron Brown (Texas A&M), Ke’Von Ahmad (Central Florida) and Reid Harrison-Ducros (Boise State), just to name a few. Denton Ryan’s Drew Sanders, now enrolled at Alabama, played at Heritage during the 2017 season.
Willis takes over for Kurt Traylor, who moved on to the college ranks at UT-San Antonio.
Lee went 6-5 before getting bounced in the first round by Waco Midway. The Raiders have struggled to win 10 games, with the 2004 season being the last time they hit double digits. They won 12 and a UIL state title.
But one thing they did get on Thursday — a winner in Willis.
This story was originally published January 30, 2020 at 3:58 PM.
