Rodney Watson, the ninth head coach for USI men's basketball, has had the Screaming Eagles retired after 11 seasons as the winningest and the longest tenured head coach in program history. He was 251-82 (.754) overall during his 11years, including a 141-59 (.705) Great Lakes Valley Conference record.
During his final season, Watson and the Eagles were 22-8 overall, 13-7 in the GLVC. He led USI to a semifinal appearance in the GLVC Touranment and earned a berth in the NCAA II Midwest Regional before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Watson led USI on one of the program's storybook finishes, directing the Eagles to their fourth NCAA Division II Midwest Region championships and NCAA II Elite Eight final four in 2018-19. The Eagles completed the 2018-19 season with a 26-9 overall record and a 13-5 GLVC mark that earned USI a trip to the league tournament and a semifinal appearance.
The 2018-19 squad also featured guard Alex Stein, who set the USI all-time career and season record for scoring and was named the GLVC Paragon Award winner for the conference's top student athlete.
USI constructed a second-straight 20-win campaign in 2017-18, going 20-11 overall and 11-7 in the GLVC. The Eagles also placed third in the GLVC East Division and made an appearance in the league tournament.
The Eagles reached the 25-win plateau for the second time under Watson's tutelage, finishing a 25-5 season in the 2017 NCAA Division II Midwest Regional. USI finished the year ranked 12th nationally and was in the top 10 multiple times during the season. The Eagles also were 15-3 in the GLVC, placing second in the GLVC East Division.
The 2015-16 season saw the Eagles and Watson make their sixth-straight trip to the GLVC Tournament, accumulating a 19-11 overall mark and a 10-8 regular season record in conference. Watson also became the third USI men's basketball head coach to win more than 150 games while directing the Eagles.
USI and Watson battled their way to a 19-8 overall record and a 12-6 mark in the GLVC during the 2014-15 season. The Eagles managed to earn a spot in the GLVC Tournament for the fifth-straight year, but were one win shy of earning a berth in the NCAA post-season.
In 2013-14, Watson led the Eagles to their second GLVC Tournament championship in his tenure. He directed the Eagles to four-straight wins with three of the victories coming in front of the home fans at the Ford Center. The Eagles also finished the season with a 25-6 overall record, 13-5 in the league, and a fourth-straight appearance in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional.
The fifth-season of Watson at the helm featured Aaron Nelson, who became the second Eagle in his tenure to earn the Daktronics Midwest Region and GLVC Player of the Year awards. Nelson also led the nation in rebounding.
Watson had the Eagles challenging the NCAA Division II elite teams once again in 2012-13. USI, which was 23-8 overall and 13-5 in the GLVC regular season, reached the GLVC Tournament championship game for a second-straight and advanced to the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional semifinals for the first time under Watson's tutelage.
In his third season, Watson directed USI to the 2012 GLVC Tournament championship. Watson's Eagles, who finished the 2011-12 season 24-7 overall and 12-6 in the GLVC, defeated three-straight nationally ranked teams, including the number one, to win the third conference tournament title in the history of the program.
The 2010-11 season saw Watson lead the Eagles to a 24-6 overall mark and a second place finish in the GLVC East Division with a 14-4 performance. USI also placed second in the GLVC Tournament and returned to the NCAA Division II Tournament under Watson's guidance.
Watson, the 2010 GLVC Coach of the Year, led USI to a 24-3 overall mark and ninth-place finish in the national poll during his first season. The Eagles set a school-record with 23-straight wins and were ranked as high as second in the national ranking.
The 24 wins in 2009-10 were the most by a first-year USI head coach and also featured Basketball Times Division II Player of the Year and All-American Jamar Smith. Smith also was the Daktronics Midwest Region and GLVC Player of the Year.
Watson took the helm of the Eagles after 21 seasons at Southern Illinois University. He was the associate head coach during his last two seasons after spending 19 seasons as an assistant coach under head coaches Rich Herrin, Bruce Weber, Matt Painter, and Chris Lowery.
During Watson's tenure at SIU, the Salukis won 11 Missouri Valley Conference championships and qualified for nine NCAA Tournaments and six NITs. SIU also compiled a 430-237 record, a .645 winning percentage, and was ranked in the top 15 nationally in scoring defense four times in the last five seasons.
Watson helped direct five Salukis to MVC Player of the Year honors; four to Newcomer of the Year awards; five to Freshman of the Year accolades; and nine to Defensive Player of the Year honors. The Salukis had 30 players earn All-MVC honors (18 first team and 12 second) during Watson's 21 seasons.
The Salukis' success was not limited to the basketball court, with 23 of the last 24 seniors earning bachelor degrees since 2002. SIU had the Prairie Farms Student Athlete of the Year for men's basketball three times since the award was created in 2002. A native of Paris, Illinois, Watson started his coaching career at Coulterville High School, where he guided the Eagles to the program's first regional championship. He moved to Madison High School in 1984 and led the Trojans to a regional and sectional championship, advancing to the Illinois Elite Eight. Success at the high school level was a springboard to the college ranks, beginning with a two-year stretch in 1986 at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He moved to SIU in 1988, beginning his 21-year association with the Salukis.
Watson and his wife Carol have four children, Ashley, Zachary, and twins, Olivia and Blake.
Watson at USI
Overall GLVC
2009-10 24- 3 (.889) 15- 3 (.833)
2010-11 24- 6 (.800) 14- 4 (.778)
2011-12 24- 7 (.774) 12- 6 (.667)
2012-13 23- 8 (.742) 13- 5 (.722)
2013-14 25- 6 (.807) 13- 5 (.722)
2014-15 19- 8 (.704) 12- 6 (.667)
2015-16 19- 11 (.633) 10- 8 (.556)
2016-17 25- 5 (.833) 15- 3 (.833)
2017-18 20-11 (.645) 11- 7 (.611)
2018-19 26- 9 (.743) 13- 5 (.722)
2019-20 22- 8 (.733) 13- 7 (.650)
11 Seasons 251-82 (.754) 141- 59 (.705)
Updated October 16, 2020
