Austin Willis, who served as an assistant coach at Montclair High School for the past five years, has confirmed that he has been named the new boys cross-country and indoor and outdoor track and field coach at Columbia High School.
Willis brings a wealth of coaching experience to his new position, particularly in the horizontal jumps, where he is widely regarded as one of New Jersey's premier developers of long jump and triple jump talent.
Throughout his coaching career, Willis has helped produce multiple Meet of Champions winners, state champions, sectional champions, and nationally ranked athletes.
During his tenure at Montclair, Willis coached two Meet of Champions champions in the jumps. Ashley Noel captured the long jump title at the 2024 Indoor Meet of Champions, and Kennedy White won the triple jump at the 2025 Indoor Meet of Champions. He also helped develop key point scorers on Montclair's 2024 girls State Sectional championship team while coaching three Group 4 state champions and seven Group 4 North 1 sectional champions.
Through his work with OnTheMark, the private athletic development program he founded and directs, Willis has also played a major role in the development of several of elite jumpers.
Among them is All-American Seannah Parsons, who recently graduated from Randolph High School and is headed to the University of Texas. Parsons won the triple jump at the 2026 Indoor Meet of Champions before soaring 43-0½ to win the triple jump in the Under-20 Division at the CARIFTA Games in April. That mark ranks No. 2 in New Jersey history, No. 3 in the nation this past season, and qualifed Parsons for next week's World Under-20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon where she will represent Trinidad and Tobago.
Willis also worked closely this past year alongside the Winslow coaching staff with University of Kentucky-bound Ma'Syiah Brawner, a recent graduated of Winslow High. Brawner has captured multiple Group 3 state titles under Willis, and earned All-American honors after placing fourth in the TJ at New Balance Nationals last month,
Willis' coaching resume also includes helping Columbia High's Oscar Lesser improve nearly four feet in the triple jump during his sophomore season, earning his first Group 4 Championship qualification, and guiding Egypt Tyler of Thomas Randle High School (Texas) to a Texas 5A state bronze medal in the triple jump after improving from 38-9¾ to 40-3.
Willis' Coaching Resume
Montclair High School - Assistant Coach (2021-26)
- Helped develop key point scorers on the 2024 Girls State Sectional Championship team
- Coached two Meet of Champions winners in the jumps
- Coached three Group 4 state champions
- Coached seven Group 4 North 1 sectional champions
OnTheMark - Founder & Head Coach
Seannah Parsons (Randolph High School)
- U.S. No. 3 triple jumper
- New Jersey all-time No. 2 (43-0½)
- Qualified for the World Under-20 Championships
- CARIFTA Games champion (Triple Jump) and bronze medalist (Long Jump)
- Two-time All-American (Indoor: 3rd, Outdoor: 2nd)
- 2026 Indoor Meet of Champions champion
- Two sectional championships
- Top American finisher at the Penn Relays
Masyiah Brawner (Winslow Township High School)
- First personal records in two years
- All-American, fourth place at nationals
- Two sectional championships in the jumps
- Group 3 Triple Jump champion
Oscar Lesser (Columbia High School)
- Nearly four-foot personal best improvement in the triple jump during sophomore season
- Top-three finish at the Group 4 North 2 Sectional Championships
- Qualified for the Group 4 Championships for the first time
Egypt Tyler (Thomas Randle High School, Texas)
- Improved from 38-9¾ to 40-3 in the triple jump
- 2026 Texas 5A State bronze medalist
- National qualifier
Austin Willis, who served as an assistant coach at Montclair High School for the past five years, has confirmed that he has been named the new boys cross-country and indoor and outdoor track and field coach at Columbia High School.
Willis brings a wealth of coaching experience to his new position, particularly in the horizontal jumps, where he is widely regarded as one of New Jersey's premier developers of long jump and triple jump talent.
