Watts Joins Duke as Tight Ends Coach

DURHAM – Duke head football coach Manny Diaz announced Thursday that Justin Watts will join the Blue Devil gridiron program and serve as an assistant coach. Watts will coach Duke's tight ends.

With over 20 years of coaching experience and 170-plus wins, Watts has coached in 14 bowl games and helped his teams earn four conference titles. Watt's bowl games include the 2001 Humanitarian, 2002 Tangerine, 2006 Motor City, 2009 New Orleans, 2010 GoDaddy.com, 2013 Armed Forces, 2015 Camellia, 2016 Camellia, 2017 Dollar General, 2018 New Orleans, 2019 New Orleans, 2020 Myrtle Beach, 2021 Boca Raton, and the 2023 Cure.

Watts comes to Durham after a nine-year stint (2015-23) at Appalachian State University serving in a variety of different roles with his most recent being the pass game coordinator, assistant head coach and tight ends coach for two seasons (2022-23). Watts also served as the assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach (2021), recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach (2019-20), recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach (2018), and wide receivers coach (2015-17) while with the Mountaineers.

During his time in Boone, Watts helped App State to an 88-30 (.746) overall ledger, eight bowl games, and four Sun Belt Conference titles. Individually, he mentored six Mountaineers to All-Sun Belt Conference honors, including three-time recipient in tight end Henry Pearson. The Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J., native totaled 59 receptions for 897 yards and 11 touchdowns throughout his career before signing with the NFL's Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in May 2023.

Last season, Watts helped the Mountaineers to a 9-5 overall record, a Sun Belt East Division title, an appearance in the conference championship game and a 13-9 victory over Miami (Ohio) in the Avocados from Mexico Cure Bowl. Additionally, his tight ends unit recorded 53 receptions for 523 yards (9.87) with eight touchdowns. Under Watt's guidance, Eli Wilson tied for second among Sun Belt tight ends with 29 receptions and five touchdown catches during the regular season, while also ranking third in receiving yards with 306.

In 2022, Watts mentored a tight ends group, led by Pearson, that combined for 45 receptions, 504 yards and nine touchdowns. Pearson concluded his career tied for the Sun Belt lead among tight ends with five touchdown receptions during the regular season, while ranking second among league tight ends in catches (25) and receiving yards (329).

In two years as the pass game coordinator, Watts helped the Mountaineers rank in the top-30 nationally in three categories – scoring offense, passing efficiency and total offense. Additionally last season, App State ranked No. 28th in the country in passing offense (273.6).

From 2018-21, Watts served as App State's recruiting coordinator, signing at least the No. 5-ranked class in the Sun Belt for four consecutive seasons according to 247Sports.com. The Mountaineers posted a 43-10 overall ledger during that stretch, claimed two Sun Belt Conference championships, and earned four-straight bowl appearances.

Watts also mentored the wide receivers during his time at App State, helping four different wide outs to All-Sun Belt Conference honors during his first three seasons (2015-17). Ike Lewis developed into a first-team all-conference selection in 2017 and completed his college career with 93 receptions for 1,219 yards with 11 touchdowns. As a team, the Mountaineers posted a 30-9 overall mark during those three seasons and earned a share of the Sun Belt Conference championship in 2016 and 2017.

Prior to his time at App State, Watts served nine seasons (2006-14) as the recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach at Middle Tennessee State University. While with the Blue Raiders, Watts helped Middle Tennessee to four bowl appearances, three eight-win seasons and the 2006 Sun Belt Conference championship.

During his nine-year tenure, Watts coached 29 different receivers to 25-plus receptions. Four graduated ranked in the top seven in Middle Tennessee history in career receptions and four were among the program's all-time top-10 chart in career yardage.

Before his time in Murfreesboro, Tenn., he spent three seasons (2003-05) on staff at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. He served as the wide receivers coach for two seasons (2003-04) before being elevated to the recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach his final year (2005).

While with the Mocs, Watts coached All-America selection, Alonzo Nix, who set a single-season SoCon record with 90 receptions in 2003, and all-conference performer Emanuel Hassell, who led the league with 52 receptions in 2005.

Watts began his coaching career at his alma mater Clemson University, where he served as a graduate assistant for two seasons (2001-02), working with the wide receivers (2001) and offensive line (2002). During his stint with the Tigers, he helped them to 14 wins and appearances in the Humanitarian (2001) and Tangerine (2002) bowls.

A native of Florence, S.C., Watts was a five-year letterwinner (1996-97-98-99-2000) as a wide receiver at Clemson, becoming one of only two student-athletes at the time to ever earn five letters in football as a Tiger. He finished his career with 51 receptions for 561 yards and was honored as a scholar-athlete at the 1999 Peach Bowl awards luncheon. The Tigers earned bowl berths in four of his five seasons.

Watts graduated from Clemson with a bachelor's degree in parks, recreation, and tourism management in 2000. He is married to the former Lauren Remillard of Southington, Conn., and they are the parents of son Chase and daughter Kendall.

THE JUSTIN WATTS FILE
Hometown: Florence, S.C.
Education: Clemson, 2000 (Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management)
Wife: Lauren
Children: Chase and Kendall
Birthday: Oct. 1, 1977

WATT'S COACHING CAREER

2024-pres. – Duke (Tight Ends)
2022-23 – Appalachian State (Pass Game Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends)
2021 – Appalachian State (Assistant Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator/Tight Ends)
2019-20 – Appalachian State (Recruiting Coordinator/Tight Ends)
2018 – Appalachian State (Recruiting Coordinator/Wide Receivers)
2015-17 – Appalachian State (Wide Receivers)
2006-14 – Middle Tennessee State (Recruiting Coordinator/Wide Receivers)
2005 – UT Chattanooga (Recruiting Coordinator/Wide Receivers)
2003-04 – UT Chattanooga (Wide Receivers)
2002 – Clemson (Graduate Assistant/Offensive Line)
2001 – Clemson (Graduate Assistant/Wide Receivers)

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Watts Joins Duke as Tight Ends Coach

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