Willis

GLEN DALE — John Marshall didn’t have to look too far to find its new head football coach.

Jason Willis, a current and longtime Monarch grid assistant, was named Tuesday night by the Marshall County Board of Education to fill the void created when Rick Goodrich resigned the post in January.

Willis is a 1996 John Marshall graduate and former standout quarterback for Mike Linsky. He has been employed by Marshall County schools for 13 years.

“I am excited. I played here and I teach here. I am John Marshall through and through,” Willis said. “I learned a lot under Goody (Goodrich). I want to keep the program heading in the right direction. We are coming off a very good year.”

This past season, Willis, 40, worked with the Monarch quarterbacks while also helping to script each week’s offensive game plan. The West Liberty University graduate said most of the current Monarch grid staff will remain in place. Due to a retirement, Willis will have a spot or two to fill.

“I can’t wait to get started. I have been going down and helping run the weight room,” Willis said. “I plan on meeting with the team this week and getting organized. I want to keep the numbers up like Goody did.”

Willis’s first game will come against University on Friday, Aug. 24 in Moundsville.

“We have a challenging schedule. The TRAC Conference has great competition,” Willis said. “Every coach’s goal is to win a state title. We ended a long playoff drought (10 years) so we want to become competitive year-in and year-out.

“We are excited with the new facility being constructed here. That will be a boost to our programe. We want to get better every year and become the best program possible.”

Willis, who also competed in basketball and track during his Monarch prep days, resides in Moundsville with his wife Christina. They have two children: Sybal, 13, and Sadie, 8.

“We are very excited to have Coach Willis here at John Marshall,” John Marshall Athletics Director Rob Chavanak said. “Coach Willis leads by example. He is dedicated and determined to continue the recent success that we have had here at JM.”

John Marshall is coming off a superb season, winning eight games as well as playoff nod over Parkersburg.

Goodrich’s six-year run at JM followed remarkable rebuilding projects at at Bridgeport and Cambridge.