Kara Willis is entering her second season as an assistant for Dayton. In her first year of service for the Flyers, the pitching staff recorded its lowest team ERA in over a decade (1.92) while finishing seventh in the NCAA.
Two pitchers, Manda Cash and Gabby Snyder, finished in the Top 20 in individual ERA, while both earned high postseason honors. Cash was the Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year, as well as a A-10 First Team and NFCA Mid-Atlantic First Team All-Region member. She also set two individual records: fewest hits allowed (59) and most strikeouts (183). Snyder also earned spots on the A-10 and NFCA Mid-Atlantic All-Region First Teams.
Before starting at Dayton, Willis spent a year at the University of Hartford of the America East Conference. With the Hawks’ program she was responsible for the pitching staff while also assisting in organizing camps, fundraising events, and community service projects.
Her coaching career also included a stop at fellow Atlantic-10 member Rhode Island. One of her most noteworthy accomplishments while with the Rams was helping coach the first URI A-10 Pitcher of the Week in over a decade.
She also had a two-year tenure at her alma mater, UMass-Boston, where she helped the Beacons to a third-straight Little East Conference tournament and the conference’s fourth-best earned run average.
Willis was mentored by Denise Davis at the prestigious Planet Fastpitch pitcher development program. She also served as the lead softball instructor and strength and conditioning coach at Extra Innings in Watertown, Massachusetts, where she offered lessons in pitching, fielding and hitting while organizing conditioning regiments for the program.
As an active member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), she holds two elected positions, serving on the Ethics Committee and the Education and Resources Committee.
“I am honored and enthusiastic about my opportunity to join the Flyer family,” Willis said. “Coach Laplaca and Coach Prager have led an excellent program, and I am excited to contribute to the program's continued success, as well as to lead an already successful pitching staff.” She also added, “I want to extend my gratitude to the coaching staff and athletic administration for this opportunity.”
While a student-athlete at UMass-Boston, Willis set the all-time record for stikeouts (223) in a career while also setting the Beacons’ top marks in career appearances (70), most complete games (52), and most innings pitched in a season (163) and career (389).
Willis graduated from UMB with her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice in 2012 and is working toward her master of science in Recreation and Sports Science from Ohio University.
