Peyton Willie enters her first season as an assistant coach for Illinois State soccer, following her two-year stint on staff as a graduate assistant.  

While pursuing a master's degree in sports administration at Illinois State, Willie spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons overseeing the program's soccer operational needs at games and training sessions.  

Willie moved to Normal following a tenure as a player and support staff member nearby at Illinois. The Yorkville, Ill. native posted a strong freshman year for the Fighting Illini in 2018 before medically retiring. In her rookie campaign, she appeared in 19 matches. In her first appearance against Northern Illinois, Willie added four goal contributions, including her first career goal and three assists, tying her for the most assists a game by an Illinois freshman in school history.  

Willie spent two years after medically retiring as the program's assistant to the Director of Operations, where she gained experience helping meet operational needs for the program. She graduated from Illinois in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in Sports Management.