Bishops’ Watts Receives Regional Coach of Year Award
Members of the Bishop football coaching staff represented Ohio Wesleyan at the AFCA national convention. (Photo by Roger Ingles)
Ohio Wesleyan University head football coach Tom Watts was recognized by the American Football Coaches Association at the AFCA Coach of the Year Dinner, part of the AFCA national convention on Tuesday in Nashville.
Watts was named the Region 2 Coach of the Year in NCAA Division III. He was one of five Division III coaches honored by the AFCA, which also recognized coaches in Division I FBS, Division I FCS, Division II, and NAIA. The Regional Coach of the Year awards were selected by active AFCA members who voted for coaches in their respective regions and divisions.
“It’s a great honor, and being voted on by your peers makes it more special,” Watts said. “It was nice to represent our staff, Ohio Wesleyan, and our players at the culmination of a great year.”
Watts guided the Battling Bishops to a 9-1 record and a share of the North Coast Athletic Conference championship during the 2012 season, Ohio Wesleyan’s first conference championship since 1989. The nine wins tied the school record for victories in a season. Watts also was named NCAC Coach of the Year.
“This was a great recognition of what Tom and his staff have done in less than a year,” said Ohio Wesleyan athletics director Roger Ingles. “To be voted one of the top five coaches in Division III is quite an honor, especially in his first season as a head coach. He was able to accomplish a lot of things in a short time and get the program going in the right direction.”