Willie Watson is in his first year as assistant coach with the Owls, after being hired in April of 2023.
Watson is no stranger to the ASUN Conference, having spent the past six seasons at North Alabama, where he was recently elevated to the position of associate head coach. During his time with the Lions (2017-23), Watson helped lead UNA to the 2021 ASUN championship game, and to the team's first-ever Division I national postseason tournament appearance in 2023 CBI. He was part of a staff that recruited eight all-conference players and two conference Freshmen of the Year. Before his time in Florence, Watson was an assistant coach at Kentucky Wesleyan (2016-17) and UTRGVÂ (2014-16). As the interim head coach at Marion Military Institute in 2012-13, when he led his team to a win over the No. 1 team in the region while coaching two all-conference and one all-region player. He was an assistant coach the previous season, helping the team to a program best 21-9 record while coaching three all-conference and all-region players, including the Player of the Year.
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A former co-worker of Pettway's at Alabama, he initially joined the Crimson Tide as a manager before walking onto the team for the 2005-06 squad, which reached 20 wins and the second round of the NCAAÂ Tournament. He then returned to his managerial duties as the head manager before earning a promotion to Graduate Assistant following his Bachelor of Science in business management degree in May 2009, and later earned his Master of Science in sports management in 2011. He also earned graduate certificates in conflict management, negotiation and mediation.
