Worcester, MA --- Director of Athletics Sue Chapman has announced Jason Willis as the new head coach of the Worcester State College men's soccer team. Willis becomes the 15th head coach since the program was established in 1968 as he replaces Christian Battaglia who resigned in November.

Willis continues the lineage of Southern New Hampshire graduates to coach at Worcester State College. Willis, current women's soccer coach Kevin Cumberbatch and former women's soccer coach Matt Kagan were all teammates while they were at SNHU.

Willis comes to Worcester State with professional experience as he has played center back for the Western Mass Pioneers since 2004. Willis has served as a team captain each of the last three seasons and in 2007 he was named to the All-League First Team in 2007. In 2006 Willis's team competed for the USL Second Division National Championship.

This past indoor season, Willis played professionally as a back for the Massachusetts Twisters where he was a team captain.

Willis has trained high school soccer teams as a soccer coach at the Leszek Wrona Soccer Academy in Bristol, Connecticut where he has coached both indoor and outdoor leagues since 2004. In the fall of 2006 and 2007 Willis coached freshman boy's soccer team at Ludlow High while he also assisted with the varsity boy's squad.

A 2004 graduate of Southern New Hampshire, Willis was a member of the 2002 Division II national runner-up team as a junior and in 2003 Willis garnered All-Northeast 10 All-Conference Second Team Accolades as a senior. Willis also attended Holyoke Community College where both of his squads competed for National Championships in 1999 and 2000. While a member of the Panthers, Willis was honored as a NJCAA All-American in both years.

In high school, Willis was a four-year varsity starter who helped Ludlow reach three Western Mass Finals and win a pair of state championships. Willis was named All-State and he was also the Western Mass Finals MVP in his senior season.