Football
Sep 20 (Sat)
8:15 p.m.
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
Shawn Watson joined the Colorado staff as quarterbacks coach on January 22, 1999, coming to CU from Northwestern with head coach Gary Barnett after holding a similar position for two seasons at Northwestern. This is his seventh season in Boulder.
He was named offensive coordinator almost exactly a year later, on January 19, 2000, replacing Tom Cable who left to become head coach at Idaho. In his first game as CU’s O-coordinator, the Buffs gained 532 yards against Colorado State, the most ever by a Buff team in their first game under a new offensive “pilot.” In 2001, CU was 20th in the nation in total offense (434.4 yards per game), but was only the third team in Buff history to average both 200 yards rushing and passing.
He added coaching the receivers to his duties in February 2005.
Watson, 45, has been adept at tailoring the offense around CU’s talent. The 2001 and 2002 teams were strong rushing teams, and in 2003, the Buffs were prolific in the passing game, ranking 18th nationally with 279.3 yards per game, despite the fact that CU entered the year with its quarterbacks having only 10 collegiate snaps at the position. The 2004 team, despite an offensive line with just two returning starters, produced a 1,000-yard rusher and 2,000-yard passer, only the second time that occurred in school history.
Barnett hired Watson in 1997 at Northwestern after he spent three seasons as head coach at Southern Illinois. During his three years at the helm of the Salukis, SIU compiled an 11-22 record, but produced 20 all-conference players. Two of his standout players included Mark Gagliano, who led the nation in punting in 1996, and tight end Damon Jones, who was drafted in the fifth round by Jacksonville in the 1997 NFL draft.
Watson tutored quarterback Mike Moschetti his first year in Boulder, watching his senior signal-caller set a school record for completion percentage for a single season, 61.6 percent. Moschetti completed 204 of 331 passes for 2,693 yards, with 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also helped bring along redshirt freshman Zac Colvin, who became only the fifth freshman to start a game for CU, and just the second to lead the team to victory in CU’s 16-12 win at Iowa State. He’s also been a key element in the development of several other outstanding CU quarterbacks, including Bobby Pesavento and Joel Klatt.
Watson first attended Illinois on a football scholarship, but then transferred to Southern Illinois, where he would eventually play two seasons at strong safety. He began his coaching career at SIU as a graduate assistant in 1982, the same year he earned his bachelor's degree in health education. He moved on to the University of Illinois for the next four seasons (1983-86), coaching a host of positions while he worked on his master's degree, also in health education. He was a graduate assistant for the first two years, and then was the full-time tackles and tight ends coach in 1985 and the ends and wide receivers coach in 1986. The Illini went to the Rose and Peach bowls during his stay in Champaign.
After working with wide receivers, tight ends and special teams at Illinois, he moved on to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where he would coach the next seven seasons. He was the tight ends coach his first three years there (1987-89), then the wide receivers mentor (1989-91) and then quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator for his final two years (1992-93).
He was born September 21, 1959 in Carbondale, Ill., and graduated from Carterville (Ill.) High School where he lettered in football, basketball and track. He is married to the former Anita Wente and is the father of three, Amber (25), Aaron (19) and Adam (17).
