by Lee Pierre
Coaching basketball is a challenge however coaching without a school gym adds to that challenge especially if you are not as innovative as Michael Willis. Michael has a true basketball jones! He is a high-spirited individual who meets challenges head-on.
Michael recalls getting- ting his first basketball at age 3 taking a special interest in the sport while living and playing in the Lincoln Terrace Projects. By age 6 he played on his first team, Roanoke Catholic Wolfpack.
“My parents (Constance and the late Maurice Willis) have always been supportive of me. They made sure I had transportation to and from practice, necessary gear, and came to every game home and away.”
He attended various schools including Lincoln Terrace, Fairview, and Oakland elementary schools, Addison Middle and Roanoke Catholic schools, and Patrick Henry, and eventually graduated from William Fleming in the class of 1990. However, it was while he was at Oakland that he recalled an incident that changed his life.
“I remember a teacher, Sherwood Kasey, who recognized that I was struggling at an early age, and he was there to help.”
Having Kasey step in and assist him at that time helped him academically as well as gave him the confidence and willingness to do better. And better is what he has been doing ever since.
Michael played basketball while at Fleming under the coaching of Burrall Paye. It was obvious how much he loved the game.
“Willibean (his high school nickname) was totally into basketball,” Kevin Ford recalls of seeing Michael play at both William Fleming and Virginia State. “He was an all-around good guy who coached his team while playing.”
After graduation, he attended Virginia State University where he majored in sports communication. He took a year off from VA State to play basketball as a forward for Warner Southern College in Lake Wales, Florida then returned to VA State to finish his education. After graduation, he accepted a job working with the U.S. Olympics team in Georgia headed back to Virginia shortly afterward to coach at Virginia State, and completed his master’s degree while there.
His next adventure took him to Charlotte, NC, as a coach at Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology for three years. The Cardinals took their lumps his first season, going 9-18. In 2010, they finished 23-8 and 13-3 in league play.
“When I first arrived, the basketball team had won 3 games the previous season. My first season, they won 9,” Michael said.
“My first year we went 9-18,” Dajuan Graf, point guard for the Cardinals, said. “We took a lot of losses but grew up and played harder. It’s coach Willis, actually. He gets us prepared in practice for the games, to work hard and show we’re one of the best teams in Charlotte.”
Michael has proven to be a determined coach who does not like losing; his records speak for him. In his second season coaching, he won the 2A Sectional Championship (23-7) and was named Charlotte Observer Coach of the Year. In his third year, the team’s record improved to 27-3 again earning 2A Sectional Champions and being named Rocky River Coach of the Year, Rocky River Regular Season Champions (undefeated). His players performed the way they were trained – hard and determined – Dijuan Graf, Conference Player of the year; Osandai Vaughn, shooting guard; Cazemon Hayes, small forward; Braxton Hicks, power forward; and Kenny Patterson, center, all made it to the All-Conference 1st Team.
Graf is currently an American professional basketball player for KB Ylli of the Kosovo Basketball Superleague. Graf and the boys all agreed that other than basketball, “Coach Willis taught us to stay humble.”
Not wanting to be a long-distance father to his beloved daughter, Destini, Michael returned to Georgia and started off working odd jobs because the job he truly wanted to be doing did not have the position available at the time. Then in 2019, he was notified asking if he was still interested in a position. Centennial Academy Charter School (K-8) hired him as the basketball coach; for the 2021- 2022 academic years, he was both basketball coach and athletic director.
Determined to make the best out of what he was given, a group of kids who wanted to play basketball at a school that didn’t have a gym. Reflecting on the school’s mission statement: “Centennial Academy Charter Athletics aims to develop, enhance, and maintain academic and athletic scholar environment through Academic Achievement, Sportsmanship, and Community Service for our athletes and staff,” Michael knew that he had his work cut out for him.
“The YMCA is connected to the school and used for physical education classes. The team was allowed to practice there one day per week,” he explained.
The first year he met with the team before school for practice since he only had one day after school for practice. Knowing that situation would not be beneficial, Michael sought other arrangements. He worked out a plan for the team to practice from 6-8 pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at the Boys and Girls Club located about four blocks from the school.
“In order for this to work, I held study hall on those days from 3-5:30 pm then the boys and I would walk to the Boys and Girls Club,” he stated. “The boys completed their homework during study hall. I even had a teacher come in and work with the boys one day a week.”
He explained to the parents “In order for us to be successful, this is what we have to do” and the parents were all on board with the arrangement. When the boys arrived home, their parents didn’t have to worry about checking for homework. The boys also bought into the arrangement because they truly wanted to win and understood that their coach was all about academics first.
During the pandemic with virtual classes, Michael made himself available to any student who needed his assistance. He provided school supplies and support for the students.
“I live in the community where my school is located so I see most of the students and their parents on a regular basis. This is my community, and I don’t just coach basketball.”
During the off-season, you can find Michael working spring and summer camps. Serving dinners during Thanksgiving, and volunteering during the holidays to help with pictures with Santa. He stated that 90% percent of the students in the community attend Centennial Academy.
The defeat from Drew Charter School reeled the team and Michael informed them that they were not going to lose again. He knew that there was one team that the boys had to defeat – Sutton Middle School. They won the first game against Sutton however during the second match-up, Michael’s team was down by 15 points at halftime. Fearlessly, Michael and his squad took on the tall task of going up against a team with more players and taller players. The team came back to defeat Sutton, securing a spot in the championship game.
“My team was just hungry! They wanted it more,” he says about his nine-member team.
They clinched the Atlanta Public School (APS) Middle School Basketball Championship. Point Guard Omari Barnes was named APS Tournament MVP and Player of the Year; both Barnes and Michael Scott (SG) were placed on the Next Generation Sports (NGS) Hoops All-star West Team.
Principal Stephanie Hodges said this is the first season for the team and the school’s first championship. While there are hundreds of kids trying to get into this Charter school, it has the highest population of homeless students in the city. Academics are the school’s forte, but athletics are important for many of these students. Speaking of the lack of proper facilities, Hodges said nothing stands in the way of excellence for the school.
“We beat some of the top schools in APS to win it. These guys played hard, practiced hard, and got rewarded with the championship,” said Willis.
The coach and the boys were honored at a Championship Banquet that included several dignitaries such as members of the Atlanta School Association, and representatives of the mayor, among others. The team received letter jackets and a Charleston, SC jewelry is gifting championship rings for members of the team. Michael purchased championship rings for the parents for their continuous support.
Michael was named APS Coach of the Year and NGS All-star Coach of the West Team. Unbeknownst to him until the banquet, he was also named the Atlanta Hawks Jr. NBA Coach of the Year! He was chosen out of a pool of 60 candidates.
Michael is not sitting back on his laurels. “I don’t rebuild, I reload!”
One of his numerous ventures includes starting a new charter school for which he has been named deputy commissioner. And you can bet, this school will have an awesome basketball team and a full-court GYM!
