Rodney Watson

Watson was born in Paris, Illinois and graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 1982. Rodney and his wife Carol live in Carterville, Illinois, where their kids attend school. Blake (16), Olivia (16), Zach (20), and Ashley (21). Ashley was a member of the Saluki Shaker dance team at Southern Illinois. Zach is currently a member of the USI track team in which he competes in the high jump.

Watson's coaching career began in 1982 at Coulterville High School in Coulterville, Illinois, where he led the team to an Illinois high school regional championship. In 1984, he became the head coach at Madison High School in Madison, Illinois, where he coached the Trojans to an appearance in the Illinois high school Elite Eight.

In 1986, Watson began a two-year stay as an assistant the University of Nebraska-Omaha men's basketball team, before becoming an assistant coach at Southern Illinois University men's team in 1988 and remained until after the 2008–2009 season.{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=1180569043CABBD0&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Little-known but much-respected: Assistant Watson 'glue that has helped make it all work'at SIU|last=Hayes|first=Neil|date=March 21, 2007|work=The Chicago Sun-Times|page=106|accessdate=10 March 2010}} During his twenty-one seasons with the Salukis, he helped coach the team to a 430–238 record, eleven Missouri Valley Conference championships, and nine NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament appearances (the Salukis had only had one previously)--including six in his last seven years. While at SIU, Watson worked under head coaches Rich Herrin, Bruce Weber, Matt Painter, and Chris Lowery.{{citation |publisher=Belleville News-Democrat |date=March 21, 2007 |page=1D |title=Assistant saw SIUC through thick, thin}} Neil Hayes, writing for The Chicago Sun-Times credited Watson with maintaining continuity for the team across the tenures of four different head coaches.

He was considered for a position as men's basketball coach at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2007.{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SL&p_theme=sl&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=1185161AD2A4F6E8&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=SIUE has 3 finalists for basketball job|date=April 4, 2007|work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|page=D7|accessdate=10 March 2010}}

On May 22, 2009, Watson was hired to fill a vacancy created by the departure of Rick Herdes, who resigned following a scandal involving multiple NCAA rules violations by USI.{{citation |url=http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/jun/11/usi-coach-putting-along/ |title=USI coach putting along |author=Randy Beard |date=June 11, 2009 |publisher=Evansville Courier & Press}}{{cite news|url=http://thesouthern.com/news/breaking/article_dc9d3514-5e22-532d-b198-e4e30062c660.html|title=SIUC associate basketball coach may be new head coach at USI|date=May 22, 2009|work=The Southern|accessdate=10 March 2010}} Despite a one-year prohibition on postseason play imposed by the GLVC, Watson led the team to a 23–0 start and a #2 ranking in the NABC Division II Top 25 Poll making it the best start for a first-year coach at USI. During the 2013–2014, Watson led USI to a GLVC Tournament Championship. USI also completed a season sweep of Bellarmine for the first time since the 2004–05 season.

Watson retired following the 2019–20 season. His teams compiled a record of 251–82 over his eleven seasons.{{cite news|last=Magley|first=Hendrix|title= USI men's basketball coach Rodney Watson announces retirement|url=https://www.courierpress.com/story/sports/college/southern-indiana/2020/03/23/usi-basketball-coach-rodney-watson-announces-retirement/2899824001/|date=March 23, 2020|website=Commercial-News|accessdate=April 11, 2020}}

On November 4, 2020, Watson was named as a radio analyst on Saluki men's basketball broadcasts, splitting those duties with Greg Starrick.{{Cite web|title=Rodney Watson to join Saluki Radio in 2020-21|url=https://siusalukis.com/news/2020/11/4/mens-basketball-rodney-watson-to-join-saluki-radio-in-2020-21.aspx|access-date=2020-11-18|website=Southern Illinois University Athletics|language=en}} He moved into the primary analyst's role for the 2021–22 season.

{{CBB Yearly Record Start

|type=team

|conference=

|postseason=

|poll=no

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead|

|name=Southern Indiana

|startyear=2009

|conference=Great Lakes Valley Conference

|endyear=2020

|}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2009–10

| name = Southern Indiana

| overall = 24–3

| conference = 15–3

| confstanding = 2nd (East)

| postseason = None

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2010–11

| name = Southern Indiana

| overall = 24–6

| conference = 14–4

| confstanding = 2nd (East)

| postseason = NCAA D–II First Round

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference tournament

| season = 2011–12

| name = Southern Indiana

| overall = 24–7

| conference = 12–6

| confstanding = T–3rd (East)

| postseason = NCAA D–II First Round

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2012–13

| name = Southern Indiana

| overall = 23–8

| conference = 13–5

| confstanding = 2nd (East)

| postseason = NCAA D–II Second Round

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference tournament

| season = 2013-14

| name = Southern Indiana

| overall = 25-6

| conference = 13-5

| confstanding = T-2nd (East)

| postseason = NCAA D–II First Round

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2014-15

| name = Southern Indiana

| overall = 19-8

| conference = 12-6

| confstanding = T-4th (East)

| postseason = None

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2015-16

| name = Southern Indiana

| overall = 19-11

| conference = 10-8

| confstanding = 5th (East)

| postseason = None

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2016-17

| name = Southern Indiana

| overall = 25-5

| conference = 15-3

| confstanding = 2nd (East)

| postseason = NCAA D-II Regional

| ranking = 12th

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2017-18

| name = Southern Indiana

| overall = 20-11

| conference = 11-7

| confstanding = 3rd (East)

| postseason = None

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2018-19

| name = Southern Indiana

| overall = 26-9

| conference = 13-5

| confstanding = 3rd

| postseason = NCAA D-II Final Four

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{

CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 2019-20

| name = Southern Indiana

| overall = 22-8

| conference = 13-7

| confstanding = 4th

| postseason = Cancelled due to COVID-19

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Southern Indiana

| overall = 251-82 (0.754)

| confrecord = 141-59 (0.705)

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record End

| overall = 251-82 (0.754)

| poll = no

| polltype =

}}

{{Reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Rodney}}

Category:1960 births

Category:Living people

Category:Eastern Illinois University alumni

Category:High school basketball coaches in the United States

Category:College men's basketball head coaches in the United States

Category:Omaha Mavericks men's basketball coaches

Category:People from Paris, Illinois

Category:People from Carterville, Illinois

Category:Southern Illinois Salukis men's basketball coaches

Category:Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles men's basketball coaches