Brian Watts is in his ninth season as the head men's golf coach at Oregon State University, and his 12th season overall with the program. Watts has led the Beavers to the NCAA West Regional in each of the last three years. In 2007 the team finished tied for ninth and lost out on a chance to go to the National Championships in a playoff. In the fall of 2007, Oregon State changed the name of its home event from the Northwest Collegiate Classic to the Giustina Memorial and since the change Oregon State has taken home the first place trophy. Oregon State finished fifth at the difficult Pac-10 Championship in 2009, its best finish since Watt's first year in 2002. It finished better than four teams that ranked in the top-50 at the end of the season according to Golfweek Magazine. Under the leadership of Coach Watts the men of Oregon State golf have not only achieved on the course but in the classroom. Since Watts was named head coach at least one Beaver has been named to the Pac-10 All-Academic team. Over the seven year stretch there have been nine named to the first team All-Academic, eight named to the second team, and nine honorable mentions. Watts led the Beavers to a third-place finish in the highly competitive Pacific-10 Conference in 2002 and the team qualified for the 2003 NCAA West Regional. His players have earned Pac-10 All-Academic honors 24 times in the last five seasons. During the 2004-05 season, his squad won two tournaments and posted the best three-round team score in school history, and the 2005-06 squad successfully defended its Northwest Collegiate Classic title. In the 2007-08 campaign his team won two tournaments, one at the inaugural Giustina Memorial Classic which was followed up by the second at the Husky Invitational. Prior to taking the reins at OSU, Watts was an assistant coach for both the men's and women's teams from 1995-97 and 1999-2001. The highlight came at the end of the 2000-01 campaign, when the men's squad used a run late in the year to advance to the NCAA Championships, where they finished in a tie for 12th. During Watts' tenure as assistant coach, the men's and women's programs enjoyed great results. The women advanced to the NCAA West Regional all three years of his second stint. The men's squad did the same and won three tournaments over that span and placed in the top three in four other events. Prior to his first tour as assistant coach at OSU, Watts spent four years on various professional tours, including the Golden State Tour, the Space Coast Tour and the Canadian PGA Tour. Watts brings a wealth of experience to the program from his years on professional tours, but equally important is his familiarity with Northwest recruiting and the use of OSU's state-of-the-art facilities. "Having the opportunity to coach Division I student-athletes is great," he said. "Our goal is to help develop their talent and skills in the classroom and on the golf course. If they choose to play professional golf, they will be prepared for the next level. If they decide another path, then Oregon State University has prepared them for success off the course." Hard work, believing in yourself and a burning desire to succeed are the three elements that lie in the core of Watts' coaching philosophy and approach to life. "If you look at anyone who has success, they have all three of these characteristics," Watts said. "These three things will make you successful not only on the golf course, but in life." After attending Oregon State for one year, Watts earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from Western Oregon State College (now Western Oregon University) in 1989. Watts and his wife Carrie have three daughters: Madeline (14), Olivia (12) and Alexandra (8). |
 
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