Jean Willrich was a German native, from Koblenz, who moved to the United States in 1978. He started his professional career in 1977 with PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands, playing two years with them. He later played with the San Diego Sockers of the North American Soccer League from 1978-84, and played 12 years in the Major Indoor Soccer League, with the Sockers from 1980-88, and the Wichita Wings until 1992. His only international appearances for the US national team came at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Willrich later coached high school soccer with Rancho Bernardo High School and coached youth soccer for the Poway Vaqueros.