LSU Eunice athletic director and baseball head coach Jeff Willis received the Walter Hauck NJCAA Coaches Association President of the Year award, the NJCAA announced on Tuesday at their annual convention. The award was part of the NJCAA Annual Awards Dinner during the organization’s weeklong conference in Denton, Texas.
Willis is the inaugural recipient of the honor given to recognize dedication, service, devotion, and commitment to the NJCAA as determined by the NJCAA’s President and CEO, Dr. Christopher Parker.
“Jeff is a tireless advocate for our institution and the NJCAA, but most importantly, our student-athletes,” LSU Eunice President, Dr. Nancee Sorenson, said. “His relentless pursuit of excellence, both on and off the field, is contagious for our entire LSUE community. He has a special talent for problem-solving and finding solutions that benefit everyone. Jeff is deserving of this award and his many accolades because of his work ethic, stewardship of our athletic department, and care for our student-athletes.”
Willis is in his 21st year as Athletic Director of LSU Eunice after joining the institution two years earlier to serve as the head coach of the baseball team, two titles he still holds at LSUE. He was elected to serve as the president of the NJCAA Baseball Coaches Association in 2022. In addition to those duties, Willis is on the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) executive committee.
He has maintained an active role in the NJCAA, serving in various capacities. The coach’s association inducted Willis in the NJCAA Coaches Hall of Fame in 2023, in addition to that same honor by the ABCA the following year.
Willis’s Hall of Fame career includes eight NJCAA National Championships and more than 1,000 victories. He has received numerous awards over the years, including being named the Skip Bertman National Coach of the Year in 2018 and 2024 by the College Baseball Foundation. He is the only two-time recipient of the award given to the top college baseball coach in America from any level of college baseball.
The Walter Hauck Award is named after a longtime and dedicated fixture in the NJCAA. With over four decades of service at Westchester Community College (NY), Hauck held positions of head bowling coach, head golf coach, and assistant athletic director. For over 15 years, Hauck served as the President of the NJCAA Bowling Coaches Association after 10 years as Vice President.
Hauck was the 2009-10 recipient of the Mary Ellen Leicht Service Award and was inducted into the NJCAA Bowling Coaches Association Hall of Fame as well as the Westchester Community College Sports Hall of Fame.