| Title: | Offensive Passing Game Coordinator / Recruiting Coordinator (WR) |
| Email: | cwatson@tusculum.edu |
| Alma Mater: | Newberry, 2017 |
Cole Watson was named to the Tusculum football coaching staff in January 2024 where he serves as the program’s offensive passing game coordinator as well as TU’s recruiting coordinator. He also mentors Tusculum’s receiving corps.
Not new to the South Atlantic Conference, Watson played and coached at SAC member Newberry College. He served on Wolves’ coaching staff from 2018-2021 where he was an offensive assistant (2018-19), quarterbacks coach (2020) and running backs coach (2021). He also held the post as recruiting coordinator.
Watson went on for two NCAA FCS stops at Georgia State University for the 2022 season and then went onto Coastal Carolina University. He served worked with the GSU defensive backs and then served as an offensive graduate assistant during the 2023 campaign at Coastal. The Chanticleers posted a 9-4 record and earned a berth to the Sun Belt Conference championship game. Coastal garnered a bowl bid and played East Carolina University in the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl.
The Conway, South Carolina native had an incredible playing career for the Wolves from 2013-2016. At the time of his graduation, he ranked eighth in school history with his 115 career receptions and 10th with 1,412 receiving yards. He accounted for 10 touchdowns in his career and as a senior, his 51 receptions, 697 yards (fourth in SAC), and six touchdowns (third in SAC) earned him All-SAC first team honors and All-ECAC laurels.
Watson also averaged 8.8 yards per punt return in his career on 46 returns, including 10.9 yards per return in 2015 when he was crowned the conference's statistical champion. Injuries pressed him into punting duties late during his senior season; he averaged 44.7 yards on 11 punts, with three over 50 yards and four inside the 20. He earned SAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors after four punts for a 49.5-yard average at Brevard, the first four punts of his career, while holding on all five PAT attempts and returning three punts for 25 yards. He also had three catches for 32 yards during the game.
Watson also completed two passes in his career, going 2-for-3 for 100 yards and a touchdown, and made 10 tackles. He finished his career with 1,813 all-purpose yards and played in 47 games in his care.
Watson was a signee of the Toronto Argonauts and appeared in preseason games for the Canadian Football League franchise in 2017 and 2018.
