Triple Threat: Alec Willis ’18 Balances Coaching, Real Estate and NBA Training

Most people hope to land a dream job in their lifetime. At just 28, St. Joseph’s University, New York alumnus Alec Willis is not only fulfilling that goal but managing three at once.

The Staten Island resident is an assistant coach for the men’s basketball team at St. Joseph’s Brooklyn Campus, an agent and media director for a Staten Island real estate company, and a pre-draft trainer for high-level NBA prospects each spring.

Willis’ path to this unique trifecta of roles began during his time as a player at St. Joseph’s from 2014 to 2018. There, he developed a strong relationship with longtime Bears head coach Joseph Cocozello, who helped connect Willis with a friend in the real estate industry after his graduation.

“Coach put me in contact with one of his friends from Staten Island, Tom Crimmins, who runs a real estate company. And he got me started,” Willis said. “I’ve been there ever since.”

Willis’ role at Tom Crimmins Realty blossomed into a full-time position where he handles marketing, content creation and photography, as well as working as a sales agent. But his basketball connections don’t end there.

Two years ago, a former high school coaching colleague who now works as an agent at Priority Sports and Entertainment invited Willis to join the agency’s pre-draft training program in Chicago.

In this pre-draft role, Willis spends about eight weeks each spring working in the gym with top college basketball prospects as they prepare for the NBA combine, aiming to increase their stock value in the weeks leading up to the NBA Draft. His responsibilities include on-court instruction, extra workouts, arranging transportation for the players and serving as an “on-call” resource for the players.

“Essentially, every guy that the agency represents who has a shot at being drafted and making the NBA is invited to Chicago for pre-draft training camp,” Willis said.

Over the past two years, Willis has worked with a number of highly touted draft prospects, including Zach Edey, the two-time National Player of the Year from Purdue, who was selected ninth overall in June’s NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies.

Other players Willis has trained include Baylor Scheierman, the final pick of the first round by the Boston Celtics, as well as Kyle Filipowski and Tyler Kolek.

Throughout his experiences, Willis has been struck by the genuine nature of the players he’s worked with, despite media narratives that sometimes portray them in a negative light.

“The thing that always catches me the most off guard is just how genuine and real these guys are,” he said. “They’re all just really, really super cool dudes.”

While his work with Priority Sports and NBA draft prospects may be the flashiest aspect of his resume, Willis remains deeply committed to his role as an assistant coach at his alma mater.

He credits St. Joseph’s for helping him build the relationship skills that have served him well across each of his endeavors.

“I have a special place in my heart for St. Joseph’s,” he said. “I don’t know if I’d get the same feeling if I was coaching somewhere else. I really want to give back to the guys in the program as much as I can.”