Tom Watts is in his 14th season as head football coach at Ohio Wesleyan University.
Last year, the Battling Bishops finished 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 3 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 5 All-Ohio Conference citations during those 2 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 5 seasons.
Watts served as defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville for 4 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 B-W, compiling 108 wins as head football coach and 246 wins as head men's basketball coach, and was an inaugural member of the B-W Hall of Fame. His grandfather, Wade, also is a member of the B-W 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 2 daughters, Taylor and Emma, and 3 sons, Lucas, Jacob, and
Ryland.
Watts' Career Coaching Record
| Year |
School |
Record |
Pct |
| 2012 |
Ohio Wesleyan |
9-1-0 |
.900 |
| 2013 |
Ohio Wesleyan |
5-5-0 |
.500 |
| 2014 |
Ohio Wesleyan |
6-4-0 |
.600 |
| 2015 |
Ohio Wesleyan |
5-5-0 |
.500 |
| 2016 |
Ohio Wesleyan |
6-4-0 |
.600 |
| 2017 |
Ohio Wesleyan |
5-5-0 |
.500 |
| 2018 |
Ohio Wesleyan |
4-6-0 |
.400 |
| 2019 |
Ohio Wesleyan |
7-3-0 |
.700 |
| 2020-21 |
Ohio Wesleyan |
0-2-0 |
.000 |
| 2021 |
Ohio Wesleyan |
8-2-0 |
.800 |
| 2022 |
Ohio Wesleyan |
6-4-0 |
.600 |
| 2023 |
Ohio Wesleyan |
5-5-0 |
.500 |
| 2024 |
Ohio Wesleyan |
4-6-0 |
.400 |
| Career |
13 years |
70-52-0 |
.574 |
