BGSU assistant coach takes same job at UT

1/19/2012

University of Toledo football coach Matt Campbell has poached an assistant from rival Bowling Green State University.

Stan Watson, Campbell’s college teammate at Mount Union, has agreed to coach the Rockets cornerbacks and special teams, UT announced Thursday. The university also confirmed the hiring of defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Tom Matukewicz.

Watson spent the past four seasons at BG, including the past three as a defensive assistant under coach Dave Clawson. Watson coached cornerbacks in 2009-10 before moving to inside linebackers last season. He was a graduate assistant in 2008, which was Campbell’s final year as BG’s offensive line coach.

Prior to coming to BG, Watson spent three seasons as the defensive coordinator at Emory & Henry College, a Division III program in Emory, Va. Watson also served as secondary coach in 2007 and linebackers coach in 2005-06.

Watson’s first coaching position came at Mount Union, his alma mater, where he coached linebackers in 2003 and defensive line in 2004.

As an outside linebacker at Mount Union, Watson was three-time All-Ohio Athletic Conference first team selection, earning All-American honors in 2002 from Football Gazette and Hewlett Packard. The Purple Raiders won the NCAA Division III national title in four of the five seasons he played at the school (1998, 2000-02).

Watson will oversee UT’s cornerbacks and special teams, the two coaching duties left vacant by the departure of Steven Clinkscale who left for Illinois.

“I played and coached with Stan Watson at Mount Union, so I know him very well,” Campbell said in a statement. “He has been a part of four national championship teams. He also has been a defensive coordinator in his career. He is an Ohio guy with very strong recruiting ties in this state.”

A BG spokesperson said a national search is underway to identify Watson’s replacement.

UT also announced the hiring Matukewicz, confirming a report this week by The Blade. He spent the past four seasons at Northern Illinois and was the team’s interim head coach in 2010 in a win over Fresno State in the Humanitarian Bowl.

“I’m very excited to add these two coaches to our staff,” Campbell said. “They both are highly knowledgeable and successful coaches who have had valuable experience in the Mid-American Conference. Tom Matukewicz has been involved with very successful programs for a long time, and has experience as a coordinator at Northern Illinois. He also has tremendous recruiting ties in Illinois and around the Midwest.