Ohio Wesleyan University Athletics

Tom Watts is in his 15th season as head football coach at Ohio Wesleyan University in 2026-27.

The Red and Black concluded 2025 with a 3-7 overall record, going 2-6 in conference play and finishing seventh in the NCAC.

The Battling Bishops finished the 2024 season 4-6 overall and finished sixth in the North Coast Athletic Conference with a 3-5 mark in conference play.

The 2022 Bishops finished 6-4 overall and tied for second place in the NCAC with a 6-2 record in conference play.

In 2021, the Bishops finished 8-2 overall and 7-2 in the NCAC, tying for second place in the final conference standings.

The 2019 Bishops went 7-3 overall, including a mark of 6-3 in the NCAC, good for a fourth-place tie in the final standings.

Watts made quite a splash in his first season as a head coach, guiding the Ohio Wesleyan football team to a 9-1 record and a share of the NCAC championship, OWU's first conference title since 1989. Watts was named Coach of the Year by the NCAC, and was a Regional Coach of the Year selection by the American Football Coaches Association.

He is only the sixth Ohio Wesleyan head football coach since 1920.

Watts came to Ohio Wesleyan after three seasons at Baldwin Wallace, where he served as special teams coordinator, defensive backs coach, and recruiting coordinator. He helped the Yellow Jackets compile records of 8-2 in 2011 and 7-3 in 2010, his defensive backs earned five All-Ohio Athletic Conference citations during those two seasons, and the team ranked third in the nation in kick returns in 2010.

Prior to coaching at Baldwin-Wallace, Watts was defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Westminster (Pa.) College during the 2008 season, helping the Titans post their best Presidents' Athletic Conference finish in five seasons.

Watts served as defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville for four seasons, helping the Pioneers lead the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in pass defense and post their first winning season since 1991.

He began his coaching career as co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach at Waynesburg (Pa.) College, helping the Yellow Jackets win the PAC championship and reach the NCAA Division III playoffs in 2003.

Watts is a 2002 graduate of Hanover (Ind.) College, where he helped the Panthers win a pair of conference championships. He continued his education at Waynesburg, receiving a master's degree in education technology in 2004. He is a native of Westfield Center, Ohio, and played both receiver and safety at Lodi Cloverleaf High School.

Watts is a fourth-generation football coach. His great-grandfather, Ray, was a legendary coach and athletic director at BW, compiling 108 wins as head football coach and 246 wins as head men's basketball coach, and was an inaugural member of the BW Hall of Fame. His grandfather, Wade, also is a member of the BW Hall of Fame and coached at the high school level in northeast Ohio, and his father, Tom Sr., played football at B-W and coached at the high school level at Strongsville, Midpark, and North Olmsted High Schools.

Watts and his wife, Jessica, have two daughters, Taylor and Emma, and three sons, Lucas, Jacob, and Ryland.
 

WATTS' CAREER COACHING RECORD		CONFERENCE		OVERALL
Season	School	W-L	%	W-L	%
2012	Ohio Wesleyan	6-1	.857	9-1	.900
2013	Ohio Wesleyan	4-5	.444	5-5	.500
2014	Ohio Wesleyan	5-4	.556	6-4	.600
2015	Ohio Wesleyan	5-4	.556	5-5	.500
2016	Ohio Wesleyan	6-3	.667	6-4	.600
2017	Ohio Wesleyan	5-4	.556	5-5	.500
2018	Ohio Wesleyan	4-5	.444	4-6	.400
2019	Ohio Wesleyan	6-3	.667	7-3	.700
2020-21	Ohio Wesleyan	N/A	N/A	0-2	.000
2021	Ohio Wesleyan	7-2	.778	8-2	.800
2022	Ohio Wesleyan	6-2	.750	6-4	.600
2023	Ohio Wesleyan	4-4	.500	5-5	.500
2024	Ohio Wesleyan	3-5	.375	4-6	.400
2025	Ohio Wesleyan	2-6	.250	3-7	.300
Ohio Wesleyan (14 Seasons)		63-48	.568	73-59	.553
Career (14 Seasons)		63-48	.568	73-59	.553