Rick Willis

Rick Willis
Current position
Title	Vice president for student recruitment
Team	Wartburg
Conference	ARC
Biographical details
Born	February 4, 1966 (age 58); Camanche, Iowa, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1984–1987	Cornell (IA)
Baseball
1985–1988	Cornell (IA)
Position(s)	Defensive back (football); Second baseman (baseball)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1988–1989	Illinois (GA)
1990–1996	Wittenberg (DC)
1997–2005	Wartburg
2008–2020	Wartburg
Baseball
1991–1996	Wittenberg
Softball
2003	Wartburg
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
2005–2021	Wartburg
2021–present	Wartburg (VP)
Head coaching record
Overall	185–46 (football); 150–85 (baseball); 38–10 (softball)
Tournaments	Football; 10–11 (NCAA D-III playoffs); Softball; 6–3 (NCAA D-III tournament); Baseball; 2–2 (NCAA D-III tournament)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
	Football; 11 IIAC/ARC (1999, 2002–2004, 2008, 2010, 2013–2014, 2017–2019); Softball; NCAA Regional Champion (2003)
Awards
	Football; 5× IIAC Coach of the Year (1999, 2010, 2013–2014, 2017); ; Baseball; NCAC Coach of the Year (1996)

Last updated July 18, 2024

Rick Willis (born February 4, 1966) is an American college administrator and former football, baseball, and softball coach. He was the athletic director at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, from 2005 to 2021, before transitioning to vice president for student recruitment.^[1] Willis served two stints as the head football coach at Wartburg, from 1997 to 2005 and again from 2008 to 2021, compiled a record of 185–46. He was succeeded in 2021 by his former player and defensive coordinator Chris Winter. He was the head baseball coach at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio from 1991 to 1996, amassing a record of 150–85. Willis also coached the softball team at Wartburg for one season, in 2003, tallying a mark of 38–10 and reaching the Division III Women's College World Series.

Head coaching record

Football


Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs	D3^#
Wartburg Knights (Iowa Conference)(1997–2005)
1997	Wartburg	7–3	5–3	T–3rd
1998	Wartburg	9–1	9–1	2nd
1999	Wartburg	10–1	10–0	1st	L NCAA Division III Second Round
2000	Wartburg	9–1	9–1	2nd
2001	Wartburg	8–2	7–2	2nd
2002	Wartburg	10–2	8–1	T–1st	L NCAA Division III Second Round
2003	Wartburg	11–1	8–0	1st	L NCAA Division III Second Round	4
2004	Wartburg	8–3	6–2	T–1st	L NCAA Division III First Round
2005	Wartburg	7–3	6–2	3rd
Wartburg Knights (Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference / American Rivers Conference)(2008–2020)
2008	Wartburg	10–3	7–1	1st	L NCAA Division III Quarterfinal	10
2009	Wartburg	6–4	5–3	3rd
2010	Wartburg	10–1	8–0	1st	L NCAA Division III First Round	12
2011	Wartburg	8–2	6–2	T–2nd
2012	Wartburg	6–4	4–3	T–2nd
2013	Wartburg	9–3	6–1	1st	L NCAA Division III Second Round	15
2014	Wartburg	12–1	7–0	1st	L NCAA Division III Quarterfinal	4
2015	Wartburg	9–1	6–1	2nd		24
2016	Wartburg	6–4	5–3	4th
2017	Wartburg	12–1	8–0	1st	L NCAA Division III Quarterfinal	10
2018	Wartburg	8–3	7–1	1st	L NCAA Division III First Round
2019	Wartburg	10–2	7–1	T–1st	L NCAA Division III Second Round	14
2020–21	No team—COVID-19
Wartburg:		185–46	144–28
Total:		185–46
National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth

Baseball

Statistics overview
Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
Wittenberg Tigers (North Coast Athletic Conference)(1991–1996)
1991	Wittenberg	25–16	16–7	4th
1992	Wittenberg	25–16	14–6	2nd
1993	Wittenberg	16–18	7–9	T–5th
1994	Wittenberg	29–12	11–5	4th	NCAA Regional
1995	Wittenberg	27–13	14–9	4th
1996	Wittenberg	26–10	16–3	2nd
Wittenberg:		150–85	78–39
Total:		150–85

Softball

Statistics overview
Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
Wartburg Knights (Iowa Conference)(2003)
2003	Wartburg	38–10	14–3	2nd	NCAA Division III College World Series
Wartburg:		38–10	14–3
Total:		38–10

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The Wartburg Knights baseball program represents Wartburg College in college baseball. The program started in 1958. The team competes in the NCAA Division III and a member of the American Rivers Conference (ARC). The team plays its home games at Harms Stadium at Hertel field in Waverly, Iowa.

The 2019 Wartburg Knights football team represented Wartburg College as a member of the American Rivers Conference (ARC) during the 2019 NCAA Division III football season. Led by Rick Willis in his 21st season, the Knights compiled an overall record of 10–2 with a mark of 7–1 in conference play, sharing the ARC title with the Central Dutch and earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs. There, the Knights defeated Hope in the first round before losing to eventual national runner-up, Wisconsin–Whitewater, in the second round. The team played home games at Walston-Hoover Stadium in Waverly, Iowa.

The 2018 Wartburg Knights football team represented Wartburg College as a member of the American Rivers Conference (ARC) during the 2018 NCAA Division III football season. Led by Rick Willis in his 20th season as head, the Knights compiled an overall record of 8–3 with a mark of 7–1 in conference play, winning ARC title for the second year in a row and earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs. This was the 16th conference title for Wartburg and 10th for head coach Rick Willis. Wartburg lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Bethel Royals. The team played home games at Walston-Hoover Stadium in Waverly, Iowa.

The 2017 Wartburg Knights football team represented Wartburg College as a member of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 2017 NCAA Division III football season. Led by Rick Willis in his 19th season as head coach, the Knights compiled an overall record of 12–1 with a mark of 8–0 in conference play, winning IIAC title for the first time since 2014 and earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs. Wartburg lost in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs to the Wisconsin–Oshkosh. The team played home games at Walston-Hoover Stadium in Waverly, Iowa.

The 2014 Wartburg Knights football team represented Wartburg College as a member of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 2014 NCAA Division III football season. Led by Rick Willis in his 16th season as head coach, the Knights compiled an overall record of 12–1 with a mark of 8–0 in conference play, winning IIAC title for the second year in a row and earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs. Wartburg lost in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs to eventual national champion Wisconsin–Whitewater. The Knights held a 17-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but lost 37–33. The team played home games at Walston-Hoover Stadium in Waverly, Iowa.

The 2010 Wartburg Knights football team represented Wartburg College as a member of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 2010 NCAA Division III football season. Led by Rick Willis in his 12th season as head coach, the Knights began the season with high hopes to return to the top of the conference with a veteran team. The Knights compiled an overall record of 10–1 with a mark of 8–0 in conference play, finishing atop the IIAC for the 12th time and completing their first undefeated regular season since 2003. They earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs, losing at home to the eventual national semifinalist Bethel Royal in the first round. During the season head coach Rick Willis earned his 100th career coaching victory with a win against Buena Vista. The team played home games at Walston-Hoover Stadium in Waverly, Iowa.

Eric Keller is a collegiate wrestling coach, currently at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. Keller was promoted to co-head coach in 2010 with then head coach Jim Miller, and became the sole head coach after Miller stepped down following the 2012–2013 season.

Dick Peth is a former men's basketball player and coach. In April 2024, Peth announced his retirement from Wartburg College after 27 seasons at the helm. He is an alumnus of the University of Iowa, 1979.

Joel Holst is a current American baseball coach at Janesville High School in Janesville, Iowa, and was the former head baseball coach of the Wartburg Knights. Holst played college baseball and college football at Coe College from 1981 to 1985. He then served as the head coach at West Delaware high school in Manchester, Iowa before making a stop at Northwest Missouri State as an assistant. He got his first head coaching job at the collegiate level at Loras College before arriving at Wartburg College in 1996.

Casey Klunder is an American baseball coach. He is the current head baseball coach at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, a position he has held since the May of 2023. Klunder played college baseball at Waldorf College—now known as Waldorf University—in Forest City, Iowa.

The 2008 Wartburg Knights football team represented Wartburg College as a member of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 2008 NCAA Division III football season. The Knights were led by Rick Willis in his 10th season as head coach, and first season back after transitioning to athletic director following the 2005 season. The Knights compiled an overall record of 10–3 with a mark of 7–1 in conference play, finishing atop the IIAC for the 11th time and first since time since 2004. They earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs, losing at home to the eventual national runner-up Wisconsin–Whitewater in the quarterfinal round. The team played home games at Walston-Hoover Stadium in Waverly, Iowa.

References

↑ Nelson, Jim (July 1, 2021). "Wartburg College's Rick Willis stepping into new role at school". The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier . Cedar Falls, Iowa . Retrieved December 3, 2023.
↑ "Wartburg hires football coach". Iowa City Press-Citizen . Iowa City, Iowa. January 29, 1997. p. 1B. Retrieved January 8, 2020– via Newspapers.com .

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[1] Nelson, Jim (July 1, 2021). "Wartburg College's Rick Willis stepping into new role at school". The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier . Cedar Falls, Iowa . Retrieved December 3, 2023.

[2] "Wartburg hires football coach". Iowa City Press-Citizen . Iowa City, Iowa. January 29, 1997. p. 1B. Retrieved January 8, 2020– via Newspapers.com .

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