Josh Watts

Bio

The Watts Coaching File

Josh Watts was named the first-ever head men's wrestling coach in Bellevue University history on April 20, 2026. Bringing nearly two decades of highly successful collegiate coaching experience, Watts is tasked with building the Bruins' program from the ground up ahead of its inaugural 2026-27 season. The addition of men's and women's wrestling expands Bellevue's varsity sports offerings to a total of 16.

"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 at the time of his hiring. "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."

A proven program-builder and talent developer, Watts came to Bellevue after leading the men's program at fellow NAIA institution Concordia (Neb.) University. During his tenure in Seward, he quickly elevated the Bulldogs' national profile. He was 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 the 2025-26 season, 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.

"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."

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.

His 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.

Watts' extensive collegiate coaching background also includes leading the program at Darton College in Georgia, where he guided the team to a 10th-place national finish in 2010. He began his collegiate coaching career 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. He boasted a staggering 190-4 record and captured 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.