Bryan Harsin’s inaugural coaching staff at Auburn is complete.
On Thursday, the Tigers announced the hiring of Bert Watts as the program’s outside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator.
He joins Harsin’s staff after serving as the linebackers coach at Memphis for a season.
“My family and I are excited to join the Auburn family and we’re grateful to Coach Harsin and his staff to be a part of the legacy of Auburn football,” Watts said. “I’m thankful and appreciative to get to work with players that will trust us on a journey to success and I can’t wait to get started.”
Before coaching, Watts played football at the University of California, Berkeley from 2000-02. His first coaching job came at his alma mater as a graduate assistant with the Golden Bears from 2004-05.
Watts then had coaching stops in Europe and at the high school level in Florida before working as a defensive technical intern at the University of Colorado from 2010-11.
He spent a season in the NFL as a staff assistant for the Denver Broncos in 2012 before going back to the collegiate coaching ranks.
Watts was named the defensive coordinator at the University of California, Davis, and held the position from 2013-16. He spent the next three seasons at Fresno State as the linebackers coach for a season and the defensive coordinator for two.
“Bert is a great addition to round out our on-field coaching staff, overseeing our special teams unit and working with our outside linebackers and edge rushers,” Harsin said. “I coached against him during his time at Fresno State and I always had a tremendous amount of respect for his coaching style and abilities. Bert’s players have always been very well prepared, disciplined and executed at a high level.”
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
Jake Weese, senior in journalism with a minor in history, is The Plainsman's sports editor.
