Naval Academy Athletics

Willocks is entering his third season at Navy as assistant director of rugby / assistant director of recruitment in the fall of 2024. Since his arrival to Annapolis, the Mids have compiled a record of 35-2, won a national championship (2023) and a pair of Rugby East titles (2022, ‘23). Additionally, Willocks has coached a Rudy Scholz Award winner (Lewis Gray, 2023), seven Collegiate Rugby Association of America First-Team All-Americans and eight First-Team All-Rugby East recipients.
 
Willocks works closely with director of rugby Gavin Hickie in recruitment, game plan development and periodization.
 
His presence was immediately felt in his first season at Navy. The Mids posted an 18-0 record and won their first Division I-A National Championship.
 
Willocks brings a critical understanding of the performance pathway through youth, collegiate and professional levels. A leading professional coach in player and person development, Willocks has been heavily involved with the Academy systems and will continue to shape the development of the game on and off the field.
 
Willocks is well versed in collegiate rugby, having been immersed since 2012 when he was appointed an assistant coach at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. He also served as a strength and conditioning coach for the Dartmouth football program from 2013-16, winning the Ivy League in 2015.
 
In 2017, Willocks took a sabbatical from New England when he was appointed head coach of powerhouse program Penn State, where he guided the Nittany Lions to the Varsity Cup Semifinals.
 
Willocks returned to Dartmouth as head coach the following year. He led the team to six Ivy League 15s Championships, five Ivy League 7s Championships, a DI-AA National Championship and the Las Vegas 7s Championship in 2019.
 
He also served as an assistant coach of USA Rugby Men’s Collegiate All-Americans from 2016 to 2018 and head coach from 2018 and 2019.
 
Along with his coaching at the collegiate level, Willocks is well-versed in coaching professional rugby. He spent three seasons as a defensive coach for the New England Free Jacks. Additionally, he served as an attacks coach for one season with DC Old Glory.
 
Originally from Balcultha, New Zealand, Willocks attended John McGlashan College in Dunedin for high school where he played for the First XV. He then attended the University of Otago where he graduated with a degree in Physical Education and played premier-level rugby with Alhambra Union Rugby Club. After college, Willocks worked with Otago rugby in the (then) ITM Cup as a strength and conditioning coach.
 
Willocks resides in Arnold with his wife, Whittaker, and children, Charlie and Bo.