MT. PLEASANT -- Central Michigan head football coach Dan Enos has named Morris Watts the Chippewas' quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator.
Watts is a 41-year veteran of collegiate and professional coaching who has coached in 12 bowl games. He was the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at Michigan State during Enos' playing career (1987-90).
"I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to add Morris Watts to our coaching staff," Enos said. "He is an individual who has had a great influence on my career and whose opinion I have a great deal of respect for. He will do an outstanding job with our young group of quarterbacks."
Watts comes to CMU from Miami (Ohio), where as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach he helped lead the RedHawks to the Mid-American Conference championship and a victory in the GoDaddy.com Bowl last season. Starting quarterback Zac Dysert earned All-MAC second team honors after throwing for 2,406 yards and 13 touchdowns in 11 games; after Dysert was injured, backup quarterback Austin Boucher led the RedHawks to four straight wins and was named MVP of the GoDaddy.com Bowl.
The 2011 season will be Watts' 48th overall in coaching. He has 38 years of experience at the college level, three at the professional level and six at the high school level. Penn State's Joe Paterno and Southern California's Monte Kiffin are the only active NCAA Bowl Subdivision coaches with more college and pro experience than Watts.
During his career, Watts has worked directly with several quarterbacks who have played professionally, including Indiana's Tim Clifford, Michigan State's Jim Miller, Tony Banks and Jeff Smoker, Cliff Stoudt of the USFL's Birmingham Stallions and Vinny Testeverde of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Prior to joining the Miami staff in 2009, Watts had most recently coached at the collegiate level at Mississippi State in 2003, serving as the Bulldogs' offensive coordinator.
He spent three different terms as the offensive coordinator at Michigan State, including the duration of Enos' playing career. During Enos' two seasons (1989-90) as the starting quarterback, the pair helped lead the Spartans to two bowl victories and a share of the 1990 Big Ten championship.
Watts was the offensive coordinator at Michigan State from 1986-90, 1992-94 and 1999-2002. He also was the interim head coach for the final three games of the 2002 season. In 2001, Watts was nominated for the Broyles Award, given annually to the nation's top assistant coach. MSU led the Big Ten in passing offense (a school-record 292.5 yards per game) and total offense (447 yards per game), and was third in scoring offense (31.2 points per game) that year. That total offense mark was the second-best average in school history. During his three stints at MSU, Watts was part of two Big Ten championships and seven bowl appearances.
Watts spent the 1995-98 seasons at LSU, helping lead the Tigers to a total of 31 wins, including three consecutive bowl victories. The 1995 and 1997 teams won the Independence Bowl, while the 1996 squad capped a 10-win season with a victory in the Peach Bowl. LSU led the Southeastern Conference in rushing in 1996 and 1997 and produced three of the highest scoring teams in school history.
Watts' career also has included stops Kansas, Indiana, Louisville and Drake, as well stints at the professional level with the USFL's Birmingham Stallions and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
A 1961 graduate of the University of Tulsa, Watts played running back for the Golden Hurricane. He earned a master's degree from Pittsburg (Kan.) State in 1964.
Morris Watts Year-by-Year
1961: Seneca (Mo.) High School, Assistant Coach
1962-64: Joplin (Mo.) High School, Assistant Coach
1965-71: Drake University, Offensive Coordinator
1972: University of Louisville, Offensive Coordinator
1973-81: Indiana University, Offensive Coordinator
1982: University of Kansas, Offensive Coordinator
1983: Louisiana State University, Quarterbacks Coach
1984-85: Birmingham Stallions (USFL), Quarterbacks Coach
1986-90: Michigan State University, Offensive Coordinator
1991: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL), Quarterbacks Coach
1992-94: Michigan State University, Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator
1995-98: Louisiana State University, Offensive Coordinator
1999-2002: Michigan State University, Offensive Coordinator
2003: Mississippi State University, Offensive Coordinator
2007-08: Broken Arrow (Okla.) High School, Offensive Coordinator
2009: Miami University, Quarterbacks Coach
2010: Miami University, Offensive Coordinator
2011: Central Michigan University, Passing Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach
