Fred Watson serves as the Director of Athletics at Miles and is also in his fifth season as head men’s basketball coach, continuing to build upon arguably the best stretch in the history of the Golden Bears’ program. In four seasons, he has produced the highest winning percentage in school history (92-25, .786) with a slew of individual and team accomplishments never seen before at Miles.
As athletic director, Watson has helped cultivate relationships that have led to an increase in giving to the athletic department. His work has led to donors fulfilling the department's goal of raising $250,000 in the Miles 18/19 Athletic Funding campaign. Those donations have gone towards athletic department operations and facility maintenance and upgrades, including student-athlete player lounges and locker rooms.
During the 2022-23 campaign, the Golden Bears finished 23-7 overall and went 15-5 during the regular season. After starting the season 6-0, the team was nationally ranked. Miles finished tied atop the SIAC Western Division, then rolled through the SIAC Championship Tournament, earning a third title in four seasons with a win over Benedict. The league title sent the Golden Bears to the NCAA Division II South Region Tournament for the third straight time. Overall, Miles finished second in the country in defensive field goal percentage, fourth in defensive 3-point field goal percentage, and fifth in scoring defense. Watson also added to his individual résumé, enjoying his 19th consecutive season with a winning record, his 12th 20-win campaign, and earning his 400th career victory against Lane on Jan. 7.
While Miles came up short in its quest for a third consecutive SIAC title in 2021-22, Watson was named Coach of the Year in the SIAC that season, as well as the Jerry Johnson Division II Coach of the Year by HBCU All-Stars, LLC. The Golden Bears went 24-5 overall and won the SIAC Western Division crown, and ultimately earned a berth in the NCAA Division II South Region tournament as the No. 5 seed.
During the 2019-20 season, Miles won the regular season and tournament championships in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, which resulted in an automatic berth in the NCAA Division II South Region postseason tournament. The Golden Bears finished 24-4 overall, 16-3 in the SIAC. At one point, Miles won 13 straight games – a school record for most consecutive wins in a single season. Watson was named SIAC Coach of the Year for the seventh time in his career, winning his 350th career game in the process, and coached the SIAC Player of the Year and All-Region selection, Avery Brown. The Golden Bears earned a national ranking for the first time in school annuls – rising as high as 19th in the country – while solidifying themselves as the No. 1 defensive team in country, leading the nation in scoring defense while finishing second in defensive field goal percentage and defensive 3-point field goal percentage.
Watson’s initial voyage with the Golden Bears was just as fruitful, leading Miles to its first SIAC title since 1975 and the first-ever NCAA Division II Tournament selection. The Golden Bears went 21-9 overall – the school’s first 20-win season since 1994-95 – and 14-4 in conference play, winning the SIAC Western Division for the first time. Miles was the top defensive team in the nation, leading Division II in scoring defense and defensive field goal percentage while finishing fifth in defensive 3-point field goal percentage.
Prior to coaching at Miles, Watson spent 16 seasons as coach at his alma mater, Benedict College, and consistently had his teams among the elite in the SIAC and on the national level. Watson had eight 20-win campaigns, five SIAC Regular Season titles and five SIAC Tournament championships. His record with the Tigers was 320-150 (.681 winning percentage), and finished with a winning record for the final 15 seasons of his tenure.
Overall, Watson is 412-175 (.702 winning percentage) and has been named SIAC Coach of the Year eight times. His teams have earned 13 NCAA South Region Tournament berths with one Sweet 16 Appearance. Just as important, Watson done an outstanding job matriculating his players, with an 85 percent graduation rate of his student-athletes. He is the co-founder of Black Coaches United, which is dedicated to empowering, developing and advancing the professional careers of racial and ethnic minority coaches in athletics. He was also recently named was named one of the Top 50 Most Influential Coaches in the NCAA Division II and NAIA ranks by Silver Waves Media, an outlet based on the west coast that covers multiple sports over different platforms. He was the only SIAC coach on the list and just one of two from Historically Black Colleges/Universities.
