VP Girls Basketball

Varsity Coaches

Brad Willis Head Coach and Program Director
Entering the 2021-2022 season, this is Coach Willis' sixth year coaching the ladies of Villa Park High School and his 22nd year of coaching high school basketball. Coach comes from a dedicated and devoted basketball family, beginning his basketball journey at the age of 6 with the Rivera Wolfpack, led by Coaches Ken and Darin Elisaldez, with the team earning a Southern California basketball championship. Willis earned a starting role as a sophomore on the 1994 CIF-SS runner-up team at St. Paul High School, under the tutelage of Randy Castillo and the current Assistant Principal and former Director of Athletics for Villa Park High School, Mr. Tom Fox. In 1996, Willis was named an All-CIF player in Division 4AA and led his team to the CIF-SS quarterfinals as a senior.

After high school, Willis played one year at Whittier College, a NCAA Division 3 institution. After his playing career, Willis has tutored young men and women in basketball at various levels, including freshman, JV and as a Varsity assistant coach at Warren High School in Downey, as a head boys basketball coach at Pioneer High School in Whittier, and then assuming various roles with the boys basketball program at Villa Park High School. In addition to leading the girls basketball program, Willis teaches Advanced Placement European History and College Prep World History on campus.

Coach Willis' family is the foundation of his success as a coach and as a person, with his wife Luz and three children, Crystal, Brian and Aubree. Crystal is studying to be a dental hygienist, while Brian is earning his Criminal Justice degree in order to pursue a career in law enforcement. Coach and his wife Luz are also raising a brand new addition to the family, Aubree Rose! Willis also credits his father Joe for his basketball knowledge and patience to teach young men and women and his mother Susan for developing his passion for the game and persistence to "make each day a masterpiece," in the immortal word of Coach John R. Wooden.

Alyssa Simons Assistant Coach
Coach Simons is entering her 4th season with the Villa Park Lady Spartans and 6th year of coaching. Growing up in a basketball family, Simons began playing at the age of 10 for the local NJB team. In high school, she was a four-year starter and team captain at Spirit Christian Academy. She set school records in career assists, total career points, 3 point percentages, and free throw percentage. She was named second team all-American at the National Christian Homeschool Basketball Championships in 2010 and 2011.

Following high school, Simons played two years at Irvine Valley College under Coach Julie Hanks. She was a two time scholar athlete and was awarded the character award in 2013 by the coaching staff. In 2013, she earned her Associates Degree in Social and Behavioral Studies.

In 2014, Simons began coaching as a varsity assistant and JV head coach where she led her team to a state championship. Finding a passion for coaching, she pursued a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from Long Beach State and graduated in 2018.

Her dad is a big inspiration as he coached her all through middle school and high school instilling a passion for the game.

Elizabeth Salmond Assistant Coach
Elizabeth Salmond started playing basketball when she was eight years old and has been involved with the sport ever since. She was a four-year varsity starter for Villa Park High School when she attended from 2013 to 2017. She played under Coach Brad Willis for two years, and alongside Head JV Coach Charlisa Olson all four years, though the pair have been playing together since elementary school. During her time playing at Villa Park, she was a four-year scholar athlete, and earned an award her junior year for having the highest GPA. She was a team captain her sophomore and senior seasons, and also received the Most Improved Player Award her freshman and junior seasons.

After graduating from Villa Park, she attended The Ohio State University to pursue a degree is Psychology. She played on the club basketball team for Ohio State her freshman year and traveled around the Midwest to compete in tournaments with her team. She will be graduating from Ohio State in December with a BA in Psychology and hopes to pursue a Master’s degree in Sports Psychology after.

Junior Varsity Coaches

Charlisa Olson Head Coach
Charlisa Olson has been playing sports her whole life. Basketball became her passion since she was eleven years old and she has been playing ever since. She attended Villa Park High School in 2013 and made the varsity basketball team as a freshman. She played four years on varsity, two under Coach Brad Willis. During her time in Villa Park, she was a 4-time scholar athlete and earned 1st Team All-League honors her senior year as well as 2016-17 Offensive Player of the Year honors. She also received the Distinguished Athlete Award from the United States Marine Corps her senior year.

After Villa Park, she attended Santa Ana College, where she played for two years under Coach Flo Lupani. She was honored to be a 3-time Scholar Athlete and was named to the 2019-20 CCCWBCA Academic All-State Team. She earned her Associate degree in Business Administration and is continuing her journey at Long Beach State University to pursue her Bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing.

Kelli Murakami-Hanashiro Assistant Coach
Coach Kelli Murakami-Hanashiro has been playing basketball ever since she was seven years old and throughout her high school career, she played 3 years on varsity and was honored to be a 3x scholar athlete, 2x all league, 2x MVP, North/South All Star Player, and All Nikkei Award Recipient. She also played collegiate basketball at Irvine Valley College under Coach Julie Hanks. While playing at Irvine Valley, the team was the 3x Orange Empire Conference Champions and made it to the CCCAA Regional Finals 2x.

During her time at IVC, she was honored to be named 2x scholar athlete, 2019-20 CCCWBCA Academic All-State Team, and earned the IVC Athletics Community Ambassador Award. She has received her Associate's degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences at Irvine Valley College and will soon graduate from the University of California, Irvine with a Bachelor's degree in Psychological Science and a minor in Education.

Photo Credit: Dean Thomas Photography