Bert Watts ST Coord and OLB Coach

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

I wanted Allen Greene to have the autonomy to do his job and hire who he saw fit.  I want the same for Harsin.  Let each thrive or fail on their own merits.

Let's get to work coach.

[toddc 13,194]

These coaches coming from different areas have knowledge about recruits we may not have had previously. I’m sure there are recruits they wished/dreamed they could have gotten at their previous school and now they can go after them because of being at Auburn. I’m getting pretty fired up now!

War Eagle 🦅 let’s gooooo!!!

[NoALtiger 3,852]

I think we ran out of assistant coach money. I fine with it but there’s no way Harsin thinks this guy is the absolute best he could get. I think it’s more like he’s the best we could get with what we can pay. 

[W.E.D 11,070]

7 minutes ago, NoALtiger said:

I think we ran out of assistant coach money. I fine with it but there’s no way Harsin thinks this guy is the absolute best he could get. I think it’s more like he’s the best we could get with what we can pay. 

One thing we've never had an issue with at Auburn is blowing money on coaches.  I doubt that's that case.  We'll see how the staff turns out.  We didn't scare anyone with the staff we put together.  Either we missed on a lot of guys or "insiders" floating names were completely wrong.

[gr82b4au 5,568]

Awesome. I hope he is great and it all works out.

 

[CleCoTiger 1,957]

Harsin is the head coach. If this is who he and his DC Mason want, then I put my trust in both of them. They know a lot more about football and coaching it than I ever will.

[augolf1716 21,109]

Excellent hire

[Paladin 3,305]

Harsin: Bert Watts brings 'disciplined' identity to Auburn defense

by Nathan King

25 minutes ago

AUBURN, Alabama — At long last, Bryan Harsin's inaugural Auburn assistant staff is complete.

After 20 days of individual coaching searches and interviews for Auburn's 10 on-field assistant coaches for the 2021 season, Harsin rounded out his staff Thursday afternoon with the addition of now-former Memphis assistant Bert Watts, who will coach outside linebackers and will also serve as Auburn's special teams coordinator. He replaces Al Pogue in the former role and Larry Porter in the latter from Auburn's 2020 staff.

"In the conversations that we had, there was no question about how he fits into this staff and to be part of this program and his desire to be at Auburn," Harsin said Thursday of Watts.

The hiring of Watts to fill Auburn's final assistant coach slot also means Travis Williams, who had coached linebackers for the Tigers since 2016, will not be retained on Harsin's new staff.

Harsin knows Watts well from their time as foes in the Mountain West. While Harsin was game-planning his Boise State offense, he had to prepare to face Watts' defenses whenever the Broncos went up against Fresno State. Watts served as Fresno State's defensive coordinator for three seasons (2017-19) before spending the past year as linebackers coach in Memphis.

With the addition of Watts, Auburn has loaded up on former defensive coordinators on its 2021 staff. Of the Tigers' five defensive assistants, three have been defensive coordinators at previous stops in their careers — new Auburn defensive coordinator Derek Mason (Stanford), inside linebackers coach Jeff Schmedding (Boise State) and Watts (Fresno State).

In three seasons at Fresno State, Watts' defenses were some of the best in the Group of Five. In 2018, when the Bulldogs went 12-2 and won the Mountain West title over Harsin and Boise State, Fresno State posted the nation's No. 3 scoring defense (14.1 points per game), No. 1 red-zone defense, No. 5 pass efficiency defense and No. 9 turnover magin. Fresno State linebacker Jeff Allison was the conference's Defensive Player of the Year in 2018.

The year prior, Fresno State had the nation's No. 15 total defense, just one spot behind the stout Auburn group from that season that helped the Tigers capture win their division and reach the SEC Championship game. Fresno State had the nation's No. 10 scoring defense and No. 11 run defense in 2017, as well.

“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," Harsin said. "Bert’s players have always been very well prepared, disciplined and executed at a high level. 

"... His opportunity to move onto Memphis, that experience with the some of the recruiting he's been able to do, I thought would be a great fit."

Entering the 2020 season, Watts was not retained by new Fresno State head coach Kalen DeBoer after Watts' defense in 2019 saw a downturn in production (No. 88 nationally in total defense and No. 82 in points allowed).

With the finishing touches now complete, here's a look at Harsin's 10 on-field assistant coaches for the 2021 season, and where they coached previously. The group includes one retention from Gus Malzahn's final staff, two assistants brought over by Harsin from Boise State, five coaches who were in the SEC last year, two Harsin coached against in the Mountain West, and three former Auburn players.

"For all of these coaches, their families, their children, every one of them, this is the place to be," Harsin said. "This is where they feel is the next step for them to be a part of something like this."

[NoALtiger 3,852]

29 minutes ago, augolf1716 said:

Excellent hire

I wish I could say the same thing but I did not know this guy was even alive until this post was made. 

[DAG 33,980]

4 minutes ago, Paladin said:

Harsin: Bert Watts brings 'disciplined' identity to Auburn defense

by Nathan King

25 minutes ago

AUBURN, Alabama — At long last, Bryan Harsin's inaugural Auburn assistant staff is complete.

After 20 days of individual coaching searches and interviews for Auburn's 10 on-field assistant coaches for the 2021 season, Harsin rounded out his staff Thursday afternoon with the addition of now-former Memphis assistant Bert Watts, who will coach outside linebackers and will also serve as Auburn's special teams coordinator. He replaces Al Pogue in the former role and Larry Porter in the latter from Auburn's 2020 staff.

"In the conversations that we had, there was no question about how he fits into this staff and to be part of this program and his desire to be at Auburn," Harsin said Thursday of Watts.

The hiring of Watts to fill Auburn's final assistant coach slot also means Travis Williams, who had coached linebackers for the Tigers since 2016, will not be retained on Harsin's new staff.

Harsin knows Watts well from their time as foes in the Mountain West. While Harsin was game-planning his Boise State offense, he had to prepare to face Watts' defenses whenever the Broncos went up against Fresno State. Watts served as Fresno State's defensive coordinator for three seasons (2017-19) before spending the past year as linebackers coach in Memphis.

With the addition of Watts, Auburn has loaded up on former defensive coordinators on its 2021 staff. Of the Tigers' five defensive assistants, three have been defensive coordinators at previous stops in their careers — new Auburn defensive coordinator Derek Mason (Stanford), inside linebackers coach Jeff Schmedding (Boise State) and Watts (Fresno State).

In three seasons at Fresno State, Watts' defenses were some of the best in the Group of Five. In 2018, when the Bulldogs went 12-2 and won the Mountain West title over Harsin and Boise State, Fresno State posted the nation's No. 3 scoring defense (14.1 points per game), No. 1 red-zone defense, No. 5 pass efficiency defense and No. 9 turnover magin. Fresno State linebacker Jeff Allison was the conference's Defensive Player of the Year in 2018.

The year prior, Fresno State had the nation's No. 15 total defense, just one spot behind the stout Auburn group from that season that helped the Tigers capture win their division and reach the SEC Championship game. Fresno State had the nation's No. 10 scoring defense and No. 11 run defense in 2017, as well.

“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," Harsin said. "Bert’s players have always been very well prepared, disciplined and executed at a high level. 

"... His opportunity to move onto Memphis, that experience with the some of the recruiting he's been able to do, I thought would be a great fit."

Entering the 2020 season, Watts was not retained by new Fresno State head coach Kalen DeBoer after Watts' defense in 2019 saw a downturn in production (No. 88 nationally in total defense and No. 82 in points allowed).

With the finishing touches now complete, here's a look at Harsin's 10 on-field assistant coaches for the 2021 season, and where they coached previously. The group includes one retention from Gus Malzahn's final staff, two assistants brought over by Harsin from Boise State, five coaches who were in the SEC last year, two Harsin coached against in the Mountain West, and three former Auburn players.

"For all of these coaches, their families, their children, every one of them, this is the place to be," Harsin said. "This is where they feel is the next step for them to be a part of something like this."

That’s what people don’t get. Collectively the coaches bring in a wealth of knowledge. I know, I know ..you guys had to actually google them so they couldn’t potentially be good hires.

[W.E.D 11,070]

So every year he was a DC at Freson his defenses got worse?  Glad he's not our DC

[leglessdan 1,934]

I'll be glad when all these new accounts slither away in the off season 

[mom2kid 216]

10 minutes ago, W.E.D said:

So every year he was a DC at Freson his defenses got worse?  Glad he's not our DC

Have you made one positive comment since the BH hire?

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,662]

C- off my first impression, if I’m allowed to say so without being put under a microscope 

 

hope it works out

[AUx 3,001]

1 hour ago, NoALtiger said:

I think we ran out of assistant coach money. I fine with it but there’s no way Harsin thinks this guy is the absolute best he could get. I think it’s more like he’s the best we could get with what we can pay. 

I doubt Greene or Harsin had a blank check. NMDB, but I kind of wonder if there was a cap that had to be navigated. I don't see any reason to write off anyone hired on staff. Good news: with just a few encouraging results, that cap will increase as we move along.

[W.E.D 11,070]

32 minutes ago, mom2kid said:

Have you made one positive comment since the BH hire?

Yes

[auburn4ever 1,266]

Welcome to the Plains, coach Watts. WAR EAGLE!!!

[TigerHorn 1,351]

Sooooo, how did his Fresno D fare vs Harsin? Surprised none of you coaching gurus have looked it up yet. Never fear, rank amateur here to save the day:

2017 - Harsin went 1-1 against Fresno, being held to only 17 points both times, well below their season average and even less than they were held to by BYU, Wazzou and UVA. 

2018 - 1-1 again vs Fresno, still held well below their season average with 24 pts in the regular season W and 16 pts in the champ game L. fSU ranked both times. 

2019 - didn't play fSU

I think Harsin saw something he liked in a guy who stopped his O as well as or better than anyone else they played. 

 

[W.E.D 11,070]

1 minute ago, TigerHorn said:

I think Harsin saw something he liked in a guy who stopped his O as well as or better than anyone else they played. 

Believe Hars mentioned playing against him and his defenses were tough.

[1716AU 728]

7 minutes ago, TigerHorn said:

Sooooo, how did his Fresno D vs Harsin? Surprised none of you coaching gurus have looked it up yet. Never fear, rank amateur here to save the day:

2017 - Harsin went 1-1 against Fresno, being held to only 17 points both times, well below their season average and even less than they were held to by BYU, Wazzou and UVA. 

2018 - 1-1 again vs Fresno, still held well below their season average with 24 pts in the regular season W and 16 pts in the champ game L. fSU ranked both times. 

2019 - didn't play fSU

I think Harsin saw something he liked in a guy who stopped his O as well as or better than anyone else they played. 

 

Stop using facts.  Messes with their minds

[Warbird82 160]

4 hours ago, Zeek said:

Yup, can't be a bad thing. We might see similar "shared responsibilities" like what Clemson does. I do think if you look at last year's defensive staff vs. this one we downgraded from a recruiting standpoint as of now. Etheridge, Schmedding, and Watts could prove themselves in big time recruiting... who knows.

Mason is an upgrade from Steele in the recruiting department as well but Rocker doesn't recruit off-campus but we will see.

Definitely have a staff full of developers. Schmedding is the only position coach on defense who hasn't played at a high level (college or pro) but hey he was a state runner-up in wrestling so that's cool.

Need you say more?

[Zeek 16,649]

1 hour ago, Warbird82 said:

Need you say more?

Nope! Speaks volume about his work ethic, toughness, etc.

[TeBoneAU 89]

Welcome to the Plains coach Watts!

Well I believe this coaching staff is proof that coach Harsin was given total control of the football program by AD Green. 

[ValleyTiger 2,894]

3 hours ago, TigerHorn said:

Sooooo, how did his Fresno D vs Harsin? Surprised none of you coaching gurus have looked it up yet. Never fear, rank amateur here to save the day:

2017 - Harsin went 1-1 against Fresno, being held to only 17 points both times, well below their season average and even less than they were held to by BYU, Wazzou and UVA. 

2018 - 1-1 again vs Fresno, still held well below their season average with 24 pts in the regular season W and 16 pts in the champ game L. fSU ranked both times. 

2019 - didn't play fSU

I think Harsin saw something he liked in a guy who stopped his O as well as or better than anyone else they played. 

 

Good stuff. Now go break down some film or at least find some articles and tell me what defensive schemes he preferred at Fresno, lol. 

Damn 5 hour Zoom meeting today set me back.

[Randman5000 4,226]

Used to live in Basking ridge, NJ. Nice town. Or township I should say.

Good to hear Hall is excited about this hire. Let's close out recruiting and get to work. 

Here's where the phrase "the future is bright" finally works