Sid Watson

{{Short description|American football player and ice hockey coach (1932–2004)}}

{{for|the English football (soccer) player|Sid Watson (footballer, born 1927)}}

{{Infobox college coach

|name = Sid Watson

|image =

|alt =

|caption =

|birth_date = {{birth date|1932|5|4}}

|birth_place = Andover, Massachusetts, U.S.

|death_date = {{death date and age|2004|04|25|1932|05|4}}

|death_place = Naples, Florida, U.S.

|alma_mater = Northeastern

|coach_years1 = 1959–1983

|coach_team1 = Bowdoin College

|overall_record = 327–210–14 ({{winpct|327|210|14}})

|tournament_record =

|championships = 1969 ECAC 2 Champion
1970 ECAC 2 Champion
1971 ECAC 2 Champion
1971 ECAC 2 Tournament Champion
1972 ECAC 2 Champion
1975 ECAC 2 Tournament Champion
1976 ECAC 2 Tournament Champion
1978 ECAC 2 East Champion
1978 ECAC 2 East Tournament Champion
1980 ECAC 2 East Champion

|awards = 1955 NFL kickoff return yards leader
1966 UPI New England Coach of the Year
1969 Clark Holder Award
1970 Edward Jeremiah Award
1970 Clark Holder Award
1971 Edward Jeremiah Award
1976 UPI Eastern Small College Coach of the Year
1978 Edward Jeremiah Award
1983 Schaeffer Pen Award
2001 Hobey Baker Legends of College Hockey
U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame
Northeastern University Athletic Hall of Fame
Maine Sports Hall of Fame
Andover, Massachusetts Hall of Fame

2005 Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame

| module =

{{Infobox NFL biography

| embed = yes

| image =

| number = 39, 41

| position = Halfback

| birth_date =

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| high_school = Punchard (MA)

| college = Northeastern

| pastteams = * Pittsburgh Steelers ({{NFL Year|1955}}–{{NFL Year|1957}})

Washington Redskins ({{NFL Year|1958}})

| statlabel1 = Games played

| statvalue1 = 45

| statlabel2 = Rushing yards

| statvalue2 = 516

| statlabel3 = Receiving yards

| statvalue3 = 423

| statlabel4 = Kick return yards

| statvalue4 = 1,269

| statlabel5 = Total touchdowns

| statvalue5 = 6

| pfr = WatsSi20

}}}}

Sidney John Watson (May 4, 1932 – April 25, 2004) was an American football player and college ice hockey player and coach. He played halfback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins. He played college football at Northeastern University. He was also the head hockey coach at Bowdoin College from 1959 to 1983.

Early life

Watson was born in Andover, Massachusetts and attended Punchard High School.{{cite news |title=Beloved coach Sid Watson dies|url=http://bowdoinorient.com/article/40|newspaper=The Bowdoin Orient|date=April 30, 2004|accessdate=August 28, 2015}}

College career

Watson attended and played football as a running back at Northeastern University, where he averaged more than 100 rushing yards per game and 7.1 yards per carry during his career.{{Cite web|work=Bowdoin College|url=http://athletics.bowdoin.edu/information/history/hall/watson|title=Inductee Sidney J. Watson|accessdate=2015-08-28|archive-date=2015-09-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905211315/http://athletics.bowdoin.edu/information/history/hall/watson|url-status=dead}} He played on Northeastern's 1951 undefeated team, and was chosen Little All America in 1953 and captained the 1954 team.{{Cite web|work=Northeastern University|url=http://www.gonu.com/hof.aspx?hof=12&path=&kiosk=|title=Inductee Sidney J. Watson Class of 1956|accessdate=2015-08-28}} He still holds Northeastern's school records for most single-season points (74) and held the record for most career points (191) until 1997. In addition to lettering in football for three years, Watson also received one letter in basketball and three in ice hockey.

Professional football career

After graduating from college, Watson played in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1955 to 1957. He then played with the Washington Redskins in 1958.{{Cite web|work=U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame|url=http://www.ushockeyhalloffame.com/page/show/829026-sid-watson|title=Inductee Sid Watson|accessdate=2015-08-28}}

Hockey coaching career

Watson became co-head coach of the Bowdoin College ice hockey team with C. Nels Corey in 1958. He then became the full head coach in 1959, a position he held until 1983. While coach, he led the Polar Bears to the ECAC 2 playoffs 16 times and won conference championships in 1971, 1975, 1976 and 1978. Watson was awarded the Eddie Jeremiah Memorial Trophy, recognizing the national Small College Coach of the year in 1970, 1971 and 1978. Watson joined the United States Hockey Hall of Fame during 1999.{{cite web |title=Class of 1999 |url=https://www.ushockeyhalloffame.com/page/show/828995-class-of-1999 |website=United States Hockey Hall of Fame |access-date=November 28, 2023}} In 2001, he was awarded the prestigious Hobey Baker Legends of College Hockey Award.{{cite news|author=Nichole Gleisner|title=Obituary; Sidney Watson, NFL player, Bowdoin hockey coach, 71|publisher=Boston Herald|date=2004-04-27}}

=Head coaching record=

{{CBB Yearly Record Start

|type=coach

|conference=

|postseason=

|poll=no

}}

{{CIH yearly record subhead

|name = Bowdoin Polar Bears

|color = color:white; background:#000000;

|startyear = 1959

|conflong = NCAA Division I independent schools (ice hockey)

|conference = Independent

|endyear = 1961

|}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1959–60

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 11–11–0

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1960–61

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 15–5–0

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 26–16–0

| confrecord =

}}

{{CIH yearly record subhead

|name = Bowdoin Polar Bears

|color = color:white; background:#000000;

|startyear = 1961

|conference = ECAC Hockey

|endyear = 1964

|}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1961–62

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 11–11–1

| conference = 10–11–0

| confstanding = 16th

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1962–63

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 6–13–0

| conference = 5–13–0

| confstanding = 23rd

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1963–64

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 14–8–0

| conference = 12–8–0

| confstanding = 11th

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 31–32–1

| confrecord = 27–32–0

}}

{{CIH yearly record subhead

|name = Bowdoin Polar Bears

|color = color:white; background:#000000;

|startyear = 1964

|conference = ECAC 2

|endyear = 1983

|}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1964–65

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 11–10–0

| conference = 9–5–0

| confstanding = 4th

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1965–66

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 11–8–1

| conference = 9–3–1

| confstanding = 2nd

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1966–67

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 9–11–0

| conference = 8–4–0

| confstanding = T–5th

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1967–68

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 11–9–1

| conference = 9–5–1

| confstanding = 8th

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| season = 1968–69

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 14–6–1

| conference = 12–3–1

| confstanding = 1st

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| season = 1969–70

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 19–3–0

| conference = 13–0–0

| confstanding = 1st

| postseason = ECAC 2 Runner-Up

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = confboth

| season = 1970–71

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 19–4–1

| conference = 14–2–0

| confstanding = 1st

| postseason = ECAC 2 Champion

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| season = 1971–72

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 17–4–0

| conference = 14–1–0

| confstanding = 1st

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1972–73

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 14–8–2

| conference = 11–4–1

| confstanding = 6th

| postseason = ECAC 2 Runner-Up

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1973–74

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 8–14–0

| conference = 6–8–0

| confstanding = 14th

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference tournament

| season = 1974–75

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 14–9–0

| conference = 11–5–0

| confstanding = 4th

| postseason = ECAC 2 Champion

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference tournament

| season = 1975–76

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 18–9–0

| conference = 13–3–0

| confstanding = 3rd

| postseason = ECAC 2 Champion

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1976–77

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 16–7–0

| conference = 13–2–0

| confstanding = 4th

| postseason = ECAC 2 Quarterfinals

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = divboth

| season = 1977–78

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 19–6–1

| conference = 13–3–1

| confstanding = 2nd

| postseason = ECAC 2 East Champion

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1978–79

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 13–12–0

| conference = 10–7–0

| confstanding = 12th

| postseason = ECAC 2 East Quarterfinals

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = division

| season = 1979–80

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 19–5–2

| conference = 14–2–2

| confstanding = 2nd

| postseason = ECAC 2 East Semifinals

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1980–81

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 14–12–0

| conference = 11–7–0

| confstanding = 11th

| postseason = ECAC 2 East Semifinals

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1981–82

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 13–12–3

| conference = 11–8–0

| confstanding = 12th

| postseason = ECAC 2 East Quarterfinals

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1982–83

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 11–13–1

| conference = 9–8–1

| confstanding = 13th

| postseason = ECAC 2 East Quarterfinals

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Bowdoin

| overall = 270–162–13

| confrecord = 210–80–8

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record End

|overall = 327–210–14

|conference =

}}

Administrator career

After retiring as a coach, Watson served as Bowdoin's Athletic Director. He was also the chairman of the NCAA ice Hockey Rules and Tournament Committee for six years, and served as president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and a member of the board of governors of the American College Hockey Coaches Association.

Legacy

In 1996, Bowdoin dedicated the Sidney J. Watson Fitness Facility in his honor. In 2004, following Watson's death, the Division III Men's Player of the Year Award was renamed the Sid Watson Award.{{cite web| url = http://www.uscho.com/2004/10/27/acha-diii-player-award-named-for-bowdoins-legendary-sid-watson/| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150324041318/http://www.uscho.com/2004/10/27/acha-diii-player-award-named-for-bowdoins-legendary-sid-watson/| archive-date = 2015-03-24| title = ACHA D-III Player Award Named for Bowdoin’s Legendary Sid Watson :: USCHO.com :: U.S. College Hockey Online}} In 2009, Bowdoin named their new ice hockey arena the Sidney J. Watson Arena, which holds approximately 2,300 spectators and is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified.{{Cite web|work=Bowdoin College|url=http://www.bowdoin.edu/news/archives/1bowdoincampus/006465.shtml|title=Bowdoin Home to Country's First Newly Constructed LEED-Certified Ice Arena|date=July 27, 2009|accessdate=2015-08-28}}

Personal life

Watson was married and had five children and 11 grandchildren. He died after suffering a Myocardial infarction in Naples, Florida on April 25, 2004.{{cite news |title=Sid Watson, 71, Hockey Coach at Bowdoin|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/29/sports/sid-watson-71-hockey-coach-at-bowdoin.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=April 29, 2004|accessdate=August 28, 2015}}