Josh Watts named first men's wrestling coach in BU history

BELLEVUE, Neb. – Bellevue University Athletics has announced the hiring of Josh Watts as the first-ever head coach of the Bruins' men's wrestling program. Watts will be tasked with building the foundation of the program from the ground up as Bellevue prepares to officially launch both men's and women's wrestling for the 2026-27 season, bringing the university's total number of varsity sports offered to 16.

Watts arrives in Bellevue carrying nearly two decades of highly successful collegiate head coaching experience, most recently leading the men's program at fellow NAIA institution Concordia (Neb.) University. A proven program builder and talent developer, his coaching resume boasts a track record of national tournament success, numerous All-Americans, and top-tier accolades at both the NAIA and NJCAA levels.

"I'm very excited to build the men's wrestling program here at BU," said Watts. "This is a unique and special place where I believe wrestling programs can thrive."

During his tenure in Seward, Watts quickly elevated the Bulldogs' national profile. He was recently named the 2025-26 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Coach of the Year after guiding the team to runner-up finishes in both the regular season and the GPAC postseason tournament. Under his watch, Concordia secured back-to-back NAIA Top 20 finishes, an impressive 8-1 dual record in '25-26, and the program's highest-ever placement at the prestigious Missouri Valley Invite. He also directly mentored a pair of NAIA All-Americans in 2025.

Prior to his time in the GPAC, Watts orchestrated a 13-year run of dominance at Iowa Western Community College. He transformed the Reivers into an NJCAA powerhouse, leading the men's program to 10 consecutive top-10 finishes at the national tournament from 2015 to 2024. Both his 2020 and 2023 squads captured third place nationally, with the 2020 team also finishing as the runner-up at the NJCAA National Duals.

Watts' exceptional leadership in Council Bluffs earned him the 2020 NJCAA National Coach of the Year award, and he was honored as the NJCAA Wrestling Coaches Association Man of the Year in 2022. Additionally, he helped launch and oversee the Reivers' women's wrestling program in 2021. Between the two squads at Iowa Western, Watts produced 10 individual national champions, 123 national qualifiers, and 69 All-Americans.

His extensive collegiate coaching background also includes leading the program at Darton College (Ga.), where he guided the team to a 10th-place national finish in 2010, and serving as an assistant at NCAA Division III Loras College.

Before transitioning to the coaching ranks, Watts was a dominant force on the mat. A native of DeWitt, Iowa, he finished his prep career at Davenport Assumption as the winningest wrestler in Iowa high school history at the time, boasting a staggering 190-4 record and three state titles. The high school All-American and Iowa High School Athletic Association Hall of Famer went on to compete at the NCAA Division I level for the University of Northern Iowa before finishing his collegiate career at Loras College.

Watts earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Physical Education from Loras. He and his wife, Cari, are the parents of four children: Aidan, Jaxson, Karver, and Maverick.

"Finding the right person to launch a brand new program is a unique challenge, but Josh Watts checked every single box to lead our men's team," Athletic Director Ed Lehotak stated. "His resume of sustained success in the GPAC and at the NJCAA level proves he knows how to win and how to develop student-athletes. As we look ahead to the 2026-27 debut of wrestling at Bellevue, having Josh building the men's program alongside Matt Atwood on the women's side gives us the exact blueprint required to establish a winning culture from day one. We are thrilled to have Josh leading the charge for our men."

Watts officially began his duties at Bellevue University on April 20.