EDINBORO, Pa. (April 18, 2013) -- After 44 years, Doug Watts, the long-time cross country and track and field coach at Edinboro University, has announced he will step down from his position.  Watts is the longest-tenured coach in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.
“Needless to say, this is a large loss for Edinboro University and for the sport of running,” related Director of Athletics Bruce Baumgartner.  “We knew eventually this day would come, but it seemed each year that Doug was getting younger, not older.  I don't know if you'll ever see again a coach stay for as long as he has at one school, and I do know that coach will be hard-pressed to match his standards from a running and academic sense.”   
    Watts has built up a legendary list of accomplishments during almost a half century of coaching and teaching.  He arrived in 1969 and since that time he produced a total of six national championships, including back-to-back-to-back NCAA Division II titles from 1986 through 1988 and back-to-back NAIA titles in 1975 and 1976. His teams can also boast six Division II runner-up trophies, plus finishes of third (twice), fourth (three times), fifth, sixth (twice), seventh (three times), eighth (three times) and ninth (twice).  In all, he has coached nine national champions in cross country and track & field.
    Edinboro cross country long ago set the standard of excellence in the region under Watts.  His men's teams have won 29 PSAC championships and 22 regional titles, with four cross country national champions.  On the women's side, his teams have finished in the top five at Nationals on five occasions, including a second place showing in 2004, along with 15 PSAC crowns and 11 regional titles.  
    This past year the men's cross country team won the PSAC and Atlantic Regional championships and finished ninth at the NCAA Division II National Championships.  The women's team came in 14^th at Nationals.  All told, three runners earned All-American honors, giving Watts 102 cross country All-Americans, along with many more in track & field. 
    Watts accepts his mantra of being a “legend” with a characteristic demeanor of humility and humor.  “In this case, my image is defined by the many, many miles of hard training and dedication to performing at the best of one's ability by a lot of quality student athletes”.
    Watts was not just about running, however.  In fact, he probably took greater joy in the academic accomplishments of his student-athletes.  His squads have traditionally excelled academically, and 2012 was no exception.  The women's cross country team earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors with a 3.63 GPA, the highest among all 32 teams qualifying for Nationals.   The men's cross country team also finished as a USTFCCCA All-Academic Team with a 3.4 GPA, also the best among national qualifying teams. 
    Watts programs will be remembered for the balance he created in the Edinboro environment of National level athletic performance, exceptional academic success, and the remembrance of his athletes that they had fun while doing it, although Watts chuckled in regards to the final comment. 
    “I only wanted to be a teacher,” stressed Watts.  “I don't know if I ever considered myself as a coach first.  Education is not the same objective as professional sports.  Winning is not the only thing.  All I ever aspired to was trying to an environment where kids had the support to attempt to achieve the best they could be”.
    As a result of Watts' success, an "uncountable" amount of conference, district, and regional "Coach of the Year" awards are scattered throughout his office.  He was inducted into the Edinboro Hall of Fame in 2004.  He was named the PSAC Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year for the tenth time this past fall, and PSAC records only go back to 1990.  He was also named the PSAC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year seven times.  He has been honored as the regional coach of the year on numerous occasions.
    The National Coach of the Year five times, Watts has published numerous distance-running articles for national publications. Twice an Olympic coach nominee, Watts annually conducts a summer pre-season endurance training camp, the Edinboro Distance Village, for young men and women. In addition, 16 of his Edinboro athletes have been U.S. Olympic Trial qualifiers.
    Most recently, Watts has ventured into the administrative portion of his sport, as the past President of the NCAA Division II Track and Field Coaches Association and former Vice President of the USTCA National Coaches Association.  In addition, he was the head of the NCAA Division II Cross Country Hall of Fame Committee and presently is on the Board of Directors for the USTFCCCA (U.S. Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association).
    Watts was inducted into the USTFCCCA Coaches Hall of Fame in 2010 and was the recipient of the Jimmy Carnes Distinguished Service Award in December 2009.  The award is presented to individuals who go beyond the call of duty to serve the USTFCCCA and to the sports of track and cross country.  He was also inducted into the Mogadore High School, Summit (Oh.) County, and the University of Akron Hall of Fames.
    A 1964 graduate of the University of Akron with a bachelor's degree in Health and Physical Education, Watts began his coaching career at Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. He introduced a running program at Walsh Jesuit that yielded a two-year record of 19-0 and a district championship. 
    Watts did note that his diminished role in coaching will certainly be detrimental to the local fish population.  “Edinboro lake muskies, Lake Erie small mouth, and walleye, and Niagara River lake trout – watch out,” Watts exclaimed. 
    Baumgartner indicated that the University will explore its options in the coming weeks, adding that Watts has agreed to actively serve in a voluntary coaching capacity to assist in the transition for years to come.