Well, hello.

State champion head coach Joe Willis will be named the next head football coach and athletic director at Crosby ISD, superintendent Paula Patterson announced on Thursday.

Willis replaces former head coach Jerry Prieto, who, in a surprise move, stepped down after four very successful seasons, including a state title game appearance in 2020.  

This is a change-of-course for Willis, who, in January, announced that he was retiring from coaching after a three-year stint at 6A Tyler Legacy.

Willis’ track record as a head coach is quite impressive. He has a career record of 113-62 in 14 seasons with stops at Iraan, Cedar Park, Colleyville Heritage and Tyler Legacy.

His crowning achievement was guiding Cedar Park to a state title in 2012; he also led the Timberwolves to a state title appearance in 2014.

In his three years at Tyler Legacy, Willis led the Red Raiders to the 6A area round of the playoffs twice in 2021 and 2022.  

Willis’ teams posted at least 10 wins in five seasons. His teams won six district title and his teams appeared in the playoffs in 12 of his 14 seasons as a head coach.

Coach Willis was named Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Class 4A Coach of the Year in 2012. 

He takes over a Crosby program that moved up to Class 5A-Division I in 2022, but has seen plenty of success in recent years. Aside from the state championship game appearance in 2021, the Cougars have made the state semifinals in 2014 and 2021.