VP Girls Basketball

Varsity Coaches

Brad Willis Head Coach and Program Director
As the 2019 fall season begins, Coach Willis looks to build upon his first four years as girls varsity head coach after four years of coaching in the boys program, and 19 years of coaching overall. He comes from a devoted basketball family, beginning play at age 6 with the Rivera Wolfpack traveling team under Coaches Ken and Darin Elisaldez. Willis earned a starting role on the 1994 CIF SS runner-up team at St. Paul High School under the tutelage of Randy Castillo and the previous athletic director at Villa Park, Tom Fox. In 1996, Willis was named an All-CIF player in Division 4AA and led his team to the CIF quarterfinals.

After high school, Willis played one year at Whittier College, an NCAA Division 3 institution. After his playing career, Willis tutored young men in basketball at various levels, including freshman, JV, as a varsity assistant coach at Warren High School in Downey, as a head coach at Pioneer High School in Whittier, and then assuming various roles with the Villa Park boys program. In addition to leading the girls basketball program at VP, Willis teaches three sections of AP World History and two sections of College Prep World History.
Coach Willis’ family is his foundation, with his wife Luz and two children, Crystal and Brian. Crystal attends CSUF and Brian attends Sacramento State. Willis credits his father Joe for his basketball knowledge and his mother Susan for his passion for the game.

Alyssa Simons Assistant Coach
Alyssa Simons was a four-year starter and team captain at Spirit Christian Academy. She set school records in career assists, 3 point and free throw shooting percentages. In her senior season, she reached career highs when she averaged 18.4 points per game with a 41.2% 3-point average. Simons was named Second-Team All-American at the National Christian Homeschool Basketball Championships in Missouri in 2010 and 2011.
After high school, Simons played two years at Irvine Valley College under Coach Julie Hanks. She was a second year starter helping her team make it to the third round of playoffs and was given the Character Award in 2013 by the coach for an outstanding season and character on and off the court.
Simons then began coaching as the Varsity assistant coach and JV head coach at her alma mater in 2015 where she led the JV team to a State Championship. Finding a passion for coaching, she pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in sport psychology and leadership from Long Beach State and graduated in May 2018.

Junior Varsity Coaches

Charlisa Olson Head Coach
Charlisa Olson is the new JV Head Coach. She 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
Kelli Murakami-Hanashiro is the new JV Assistant Coach. She 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 3-time Scholar Athlete, 2-time All League, 2-time MVP, North/South All Star Player, and All Nikkei Award Recipient. Recently, she just finished playing her second year of collegiate basketball at Irvine Valley College under Coach Julie Hanks. While playing at Irvine Valley they were 3-time Orange Empire Conference Champions and have made it to the CCCAA Regional Finals two times. During her time at IVC she was honored to be named 2-time Scholar Athlete, 2019-20 CCCWBCA Academic All-State Team, and IVC Athletics Community Ambassador Award. She has received her Associate's in Social and Behavioral Sciences at Irvine Valley College and is now a junior at University of California, Irvine pursuing her Bachelor's degree in Psychological Science.

Photo Credit: Dean Thomas Photography