Prior to the summer of 2018, Fred Watson had already built a Hall of Fame-worthy résumé.

Watson had already starred as a basketball player and head coach at his alma mater, Benedict College, where he was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2024. Twenty-win seasons were nearly automatic. In fact, his programs had not even seen a losing season after his initial campaign. He was also beginning his burgeoning career as a college athletics administrator.

But given the opportunity to transform a program that had seen little in the way of success, he took a leap of faith that would turn into a pot of gold for his new institution – and a gold jacket for himself.

On Friday, Watson – along with President Bobbie Knight and former head football coach and athletic director Reginald Ruffin – will be inducted into the Miles College Sports Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Fairfield Civic Center. The fact that Watson is entering with those individuals – his predecessor (Ruffin) and the current leader of the institution who named him to lead the Golden Bears athletic department (Knight) – is not lost on him.

"I am deeply honored to be inducted into the Miles College Sports Hall of Fame. It's even more special to be inducted alongside Athletic Director Reginald Ruffin and President Bobbie Knight, two individuals who were instrumental in my success at Miles," Watson said. "I would like to thank the Hall of Fame committee for bestowing me such a prestigious honor, and I dedicate this achievement to every student-athlete, assistant, colleague, supporter and my family and friends who believed in the vision and helped make history possible."

When Watson arrived at Miles in 2018, the men's basketball program had been, mostly, unsuccessful. Just one winning season (2015-16) and five 20-loss seasons in the 17 years preceding his arrival. But in short order, he put his mark on the program that has already made him the most successful and accomplished in its history.

In his first season, Miles won the 2019 SIAC Championship, the first for the school since joining NCAA Division II, and a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1975, when the Golden Bears competed as a Division III institution. But the train did not stop there.

Not counting the COVID-restricted 2020-21 campaign (where he stepped aside as head coach), his teams have been the benchmark for the SIAC. The program captured won two more SIAC titles (2020, 2023), has won a share of the SIAC West Division title every year, and earned three additional NCAA Division II South Region Tournament appearances.

Watson is Miles' all-time leader in victories and winning percentage (138–35 overall record, .798), averaging 22 wins per season. He earned SIAC Coach of the Year honors in 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2025, while every team under his leadership excelled academically, maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or higher for seven straight years. He has had the Golden Bears nationally ranked in media polls, won NCAA statistical awards for fielding the best defensive team in the country. By any metric, Watson has been the best at what he does on the basketball court.

But off the court, Watson has been just as dynamic. Individually, he has been the only SIAC coach ever selected to the NCAA College Basketball Coaches Academy, participating three times. In 2020, he was named to Silver Waves Media's list of the Top 50 Most Influential Coaches, one of only two HBCU coaches recognized nationally. As co-founder of Black Coaches United, he has been a powerful advocate for minority coaches and the welfare of student-athletes.

After Ruffin's departure in 2021, Watson was named Director of Athletics by President Knight and he immediately made leadership decision that have been transformative for the entire Miles athletics program. He hired Sam Shade as head football coach, a move that resulted in the most wins in a single season in school history, a SIAC Championship, and the program's first-ever NCAA Regional victory. He appointed Pete Asmond to lead women's basketball, where the program won consecutive SIAC Championships - the first two in program annuls - and two NCAA appearances. Under his tenure, Milton Barney guided the baseball team to a win in the Black College World Series in 2025, while the track program was revitalized with standout SIAC performances. The golf and volleyball programs have also seen a renaissance under Watson, with the Golden Bears winning the SIAC Golf Championship in 2024.

Beyond wins and titles, Watson spearheaded crucial fundraising and facility enhancements. He secured funding for renovations to Knox-Windham Gymnasium, landed a significant gift to strengthen athletic programs, and partnered with the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation to build a state-of-the-art turf practice field. He also revived the Golden Standard Athletic Awards Banquet, celebrating the achievements of student-athletes both on and off the field.

Fred Watson's tenure at Miles College has been defined by championship banners, academic excellence, and transformational leadership. His vision has elevated the Golden Bears into one of the nation's premier Division II programs, positioning Miles as a national model for HBCU athletic achievement. For these extraordinary contributions, we proudly congratulate him on his induction into the Miles College Sports Hall of Fame.