Hall of Fame
Willey served as UIndy Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics for 17 years, from 2003 to 2020. The 2012-13 Under Armour Division II Athletic Director of the Year, 2010 Under Armour Division II Central Region Athletic Director of the Year, and 2005 Women Leaders in College Sports (formerly NACWAA) Division II Administrator of the Year guided the Greyhounds to uncharted territory in her time at the helm. Having spent a total of 45 years at the university, Willey established UIndy as one of the top overall athletic programs in Division II. In her tenure, the Greyhounds became regular qualifiers for NCAA postseason play and a consistent threat for Conference, Regional, and National Championships. The Greyhounds finished fifth in the 2018-19 LEARFIELD Sports Directors’ Cup standings, notching the program’s 13th consecutive top-20 showing in the prestigious standings and seventh top-10 in eight seasons. Overall, UIndy finished in the top 10 on eight occasions in the Directors’ Cup standings, including four top-five places. UIndy was just one of only three D-II athletics programs in the country with such a lengthy top-20 streak. In addition, UIndy claimed a pair of D-II National team titles in the sport of women’s golf in 2015 and 2018.
A 1993 inductee into the UIndy Athletic Hall of Fame, Willey earned an incredible 19 letters and 11 MVP awards in her four-year career. She was the Female Athlete of the Year from 1972-75 and began her coaching career at her alma mater after graduating cum laude from UIndy in 1975. The versatile Willey coached 23 years on campus, directing 43 different teams in five sports. She was the GLVC Softball Coach of the Year in 1989, and her softball teams earned national academic honors in 1996 and 1997. During Willey’s tenure, UIndy won an astounding 64 GLVC titles, including a record eight All-Sports trophies. In addition, 64 UIndy student-athletes were named GLVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in her 17 years, as well as 64 earning Academic All-America honors. Most recently, in retirement, Willey earned the 2023 Division II Athletics Directors Association (D2ADA) Lifetime Achievement Award and was named the NCAA Division II 50th Anniversary Gold Award recipient in 2024.