The Willett family’s bond with UC Davis Athletics runs deep, rooted in both tradition and personal legacy. Genia Willett, daughter of long-time legendary UC Davis head coach Woody Wilson, and her husband, Jim, were recently recognized as the Champion Aggies Club Donors of the Game during UC Davis football’s Big Sky opener against Weber State alongside their daughter and son-in-law, Tom and Kim Windall. Photo courtesy of UC Davis Athletics

DAVIS, CA (MPG) - Caden Pinnick racks up weekly awards following a performance against No. 14 Northern Arizona that earned No. 6 UC Davis football a victory on homecoming. The redshirt freshman quarterback added to his weekly awards being named the FCS Nation Radio National Offensive Player of the Week.
 
Pinnick was also named the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week following the win against Northern Arizona, his third-straight such honor which tied a conference record.

The Aggie signal caller became the first Big Sky honoree to earn three-straight offensive player of the week honors since Dalton Sneed (Montana) earned the honor three times in a row in 2019. The difference between the two is that Pinnick has done it against three conference opponents, while Sneed played two conference opponents with his streak starting in the non-conference portion of Montana's 2019 schedule.
 
Pinnick shined in another Aggie victory throwing for a career-high, 348 passing yards while throwing five touchdowns, the most by an Aggie since 2018. Pinnick was also lights out going 25-for-29 to finish with a completion percentage of 86.2 percent. Over three games, Pinnick has gone 62-for-82, thrown for 949 yards, tossed 10 touchdowns and thrown no interceptions to lead the Aggies to 3-0 start in Big Sky play for the second-straight season.

As of Oct. 15, it was the fifth time this season that Pinnick earned weekly honors and the second time he earned national honors. He was named the Stats Perform National Freshman Player of the Week back in week one and he earned Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week honors after the Aggies knocked off Weber State, following the road win at Cal Poly and after the recent victory on homecoming over Northern Arizona.

Donor Impact – Willett Family

The Willett family’s bond with UC Davis Athletics runs deep, rooted in both tradition and personal legacy. Genia Willett, daughter of long-time legendary UC Davis head coach Woody Wilson, and her husband, Jim, were recently recognized as the Champion Aggies Club Donors of the Game during UC Davis football’s Big Sky opener against Weber State alongside their daughter and son-in-law, Tom and Kim Windall.

“We support athletics because of the high caliber of the program and the student-athletes.” Genia said. “We also like to support athletics to honor my father, Woody Wilson, who put his heart and soul into the track and field program.”

Their philanthropy has helped fuel scholarships, facility upgrades, and opportunities that empower student-athletes to excel both on the field and in the classroom. For the Willetts, each donation is a way to celebrate excellence and remember a man who gave everything to elevate the program.

Today, the Willett family’s involvement is visible across campus, from the stands at Aggie football and basketball games to the track that bears the late Woody Wilson’s name. Their passion continues to inspire others in the Aggie community, exemplifying how one family’s loyalty and love for a university can shape its legacy for generations.

Staff Spotlight – Jason Grace

If something runs smoothly at UC Davis athletics, chances are Jason Grace had a hand in it. As manager of Facilities and Operations, he’s the steady presence making sure every field, court and locker room is ready to go, no matter what the day brings.

“My day can consist of stringing a lacrosse goal, setting up for a home game, fixing a locker or hanging a TV in a coach’s office,” Grace said. “I like not always knowing what my day is going to look like. Game days are the things I take the most pride in. It’s not just the game but also the prep before and after the game.”

After more than 20 years as a coach, Grace brings that same mindset into his work.

“Even though I’m not the coach, I still want everything set up the way I’d want it to be on game day,” he said. “It’s also helped me notice when something looks off and make sure it gets fixed so our coaches don’t have to worry about it.”

“Jason is one of those people who makes everyone around him better,” said Director of Athletics Rocko DeLuca. “His commitment, reliability and pride in his work embody what UC Davis athletics stands for. We’re incredibly grateful for the difference he makes every day across our department.”

Team Spotlight – Volleyball

With wins over UC San Diego and Long Beach State two weekends ago, UC Davis women’s volleyball is off to a historic start to their season.

"I think the team is playing with a ton of tenacity and courage, and it's been a ton of fun to watch them play over the start of the season,” said head coach Dan Conners. “We're still early in the season and there are a lot of things to grow and get better at but I really like the way we are approaching growth and change and the way we compete.

We compete at a really high level and I really appreciate the team and their effort in that."