Watts promoted to assistant head coach for App State football

Jack Jackson, Reporter
January 30, 2021

After six seasons as an App State offensive assistant and three as recruiting coordinator, Justin Watts was promoted to assistant head coach. (Courtesy App State athletics)

Recruiting coordinator for App State football, Justin Watts, will now be assistant head coach, head coach Shawn Clark announced Wednesday. Since Watts’ arrival in Boone in 2015, the Mountaineers have won four conference championships and six straight bowl games.

Watts spent four years as the wide receivers coach before spending the last two as the tight ends coach. In 2020, Watts’ tight ends group hauled in 24 receptions and five touchdowns through the final seven games. This included five receptions and two touchdowns in the inaugural Myrtle Beach bowl win.

While serving as a tight ends and wide receivers coach, Watts also served as the program’s recruiting coordinator. This past season, App State’s recruiting class featured 22 athletes who signed with three-star ratings according to 247 Sports. Watts’ 2021 class ranks first in the Sun Belt conference and sixth overall in the Group of Five according to 247. Watts managed to sign three of App State’s six highest-rated recruits in 2019 and helped recruit the highest-rated class in App State’s history in 2020.

Clark announced Watts would continue to serve as the program’s tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator while taking on the role of assistant head coach.

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Jack Jackson, Reporter