Stan Watts
{{Short description|American basketball player and coach (1911–2000)}}
{{For|the artist|Stanley J. Watts}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Stan Watts
| image = Stan Watts 1956.jpeg
| alt =
| caption = Watts, circa 1956
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1911|8|30}}
| birth_place = Murray, Utah, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2000|4|6|1911|8|30}}
| death_place =
| alma_mater = BYU
| coach_sport1 = Basketball
| coach_years2 = 1938–?
| coach_team2 = Millard High HS (UT)
| coach_years3 = 1941–1945
| coach_team3 = Dixie (UT)
| coach_years4 = 1945–1947
| coach_team4 = Jordan HS (UT)
| coach_years5 = 1947–1949
| coach_team5 = BYU (freshmen)
| coach_years6 = 1949–1972
| coach_team6 = BYU
| coach_sport7 = Football
| coach_years8 = 1941–1942
| coach_team8 = Dixie (UT)
| coach_sport9 = Baseball
| coach_years10 = 1948
| coach_team10 = BYU
| admin_years1 = 1970–1976
| admin_team1 = BYU
| overall_record = 371–254 (college basketball)
3–3 (college baseball)
| bowl_record =
| tournament_record = Basketball
4–10 (NCAA University Division)
6–2 (NIT)
| championships = Basketball
2 NIT (1951, 1966)
3 MSC regular season (1950, 1951, 1957)
5 WAC regular season (1965, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1972)
| awards =
| coaching_records =
| BASKHOF_year = 1986
| CBBASKHOF_year = 2006
| BASKHOF_id = stanley-watts
}}
Stanley H. Watts (August 30, 1911 – April 6, 2000) was an American basketball coach. He served as the head basketball coach at Brigham Young University (BYU) from 1949 to 1972.{{cite news |last=Robinson |first=Doug |url= https://www.deseret.com/2000/4/8/19500659/watts-was-a-hoops-legend |title=Watts was a hoops legend |work=Deseret News |date=April 8, 2000 |access-date=May 13, 2021}}{{cite news |last=Harper |first=Mitch |url= https://kslsports.com/429305/mark-pope-sets-byu-basketball-record-most-wins-first-year/? |title=Mark Pope Sets Record For Most Wins By First-Year BYU Head Coach |work=KSL |date=February 28, 2020 |access-date=May 13, 2021}} The Murray, Utah native was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1986.{{cite book |last=Porter |first=David L. |title=Basketball: A Biographical Dictionary |publisher=Greenwood Press pg. 501 |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-3133-0952-6}}
Watts became the sixth coach in history to win 100 games in his first five years. Watts' BYU teams were disciplined and well-drilled units that favored an up-tempo style and relentless defensive pressure. In 23 seasons, Watts compiled a 371–254 (.594) record and established a strong basketball tradition and a national athletic identity for the school representing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. His Cougars teams won eight conference titles, appeared in 11 postseason tournaments, and captured the 1951 and 1966 National Invitation Tournament championships.
Watts began his coaching career in 1938 at Millard High, then coached Dixie Junior College from 1941 to 1945 and Jordan High School from 1945 to 1947. Watts was chosen as BYU's freshman coach in 1947 and inherited the varsity team in 1949. Watts' book, Developing an Offensive Attack in Basketball (1958), became a standard manual on the fast break offense.{{cite news |last=Novak |first=Thad |url= https://bleacherreport.com/articles/901148-the-100-greatest-coaches-in-college-basketball-history |title=The 100 Greatest Coaches in College Basketball History |work=Bleacher Report |date=October 19, 2011 |access-date=May 13, 2021}} From 1965 to 1966, Watts' "Runnin' Cougars" scored more than 100 points 21 times and at least 95 points 32 times. Watts' teaching skills were in constant demand at coaching clinics across the nation and in Europe, the Far East and South Africa. Watts served his coaching organization, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), on numerous committees. He served on the Board of Directors from 1958 to 1968 and as president in 1970.
Head coaching record
=College basketball=
{{CBB Yearly Record Start | type = | conference = | postseason = | poll = }}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = BYU Cougars
| conference = Mountain States Conference
| startyear = 1949
| endyear = 1962
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| season = 1949–50
| name = BYU
| overall = 22–12
| conference = 14–6
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason = NCAA Regional Fourth Place
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = postseason
| season = 1950–51
| name = BYU
| overall = 28–9
| conference = 15–5
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason = NCAA Regional Fourth Place, NIT Champion
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1951–52
| name = BYU
| overall = 14–10
| conference = 9–5
| confstanding = T–2nd
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1952–53
| name = BYU
| overall = 22–8
| conference = 11–3
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason = NIT first round
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1953–54
| name = BYU
| overall = 18–11
| conference = 9–5
| confstanding = 3rd
| postseason = NIT first round
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1954–55
| name = BYU
| overall = 13–13
| conference = 10–4
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1955–56
| name = BYU
| overall = 18–8
| conference = 10–4
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| season = 1956–57
| name = BYU
| overall = 19–9
| conference = 11–3
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason = NCAA University Division Regional Third Place
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1957–58
| name = BYU
| overall = 13–13
| conference = 9–5
| confstanding = T–2nd
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1958–59
| name = BYU
| overall = 15–11
| conference = 8–6
| confstanding = 4th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1959–60
| name = BYU
| overall = 8–17
| conference = 5–9
| confstanding = 5th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1960–61
| name = BYU
| overall = 15–11
| conference = 9–5
| confstanding = 3rd
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1961–62
| name = BYU
| overall = 10–16
| conference = 5–9
| confstanding = T–4th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = BYU Cougars
| conference = Western Athletic Conference
| startyear = 1962
| endyear = 1972
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1962–63
| name = BYU
| overall = 12–14
| conference = 6–4
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1963–64
| name = BYU
| overall = 13–12
| conference = 5–5
| confstanding = 3rd
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| season = 1964–65
| name = BYU
| overall = 21–7
| conference = 8–2
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason = NCAA University Division Regional Third Place
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = postseason
| season = 1965–66
| name = BYU
| overall = 20–5
| conference = 6–4
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason = NIT Champion
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| season = 1966–67
| name = BYU
| overall = 14–10
| conference = 8–2
| confstanding = T–1st
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1967–68
| name = BYU
| overall = 13–12
| conference = 4–6
| confstanding = T–4th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| season = 1968–69
| name = BYU
| overall = 16–12
| conference = 6–4
| confstanding = T–1st
| postseason = NCAA University Division first round
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 1969–70
| name = BYU
| overall = 8–18
| conference = 4–10
| confstanding = 7th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| season = 1970–71
| name = BYU
| overall = 18–11
| conference = 10–4
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason = NCAA University Division Regional Fourth Place
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| season = 1971–72
| name = BYU
| overall = 21–5
| conference = 12–2
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason = NCAA University Division first round
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = BYU
| overall = 371–254
| confrecord = 194–112
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record End
| overall = 371–254
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Basketballhof|stanley-watts}}
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{{1986 Basketball HOF}}
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{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watts, Stan}}
Category:American Latter Day Saints
Category:American men's basketball coaches
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:Basketball coaches from Utah
Category:Basketball players from Utah
Category:BYU Cougars athletic directors
Category:BYU Cougars baseball coaches
Category:BYU Cougars men's basketball coaches
Category:BYU Cougars men's basketball players
Category:College men's basketball head coaches in the United States
Category:Dixie State Rebels football coaches
Category:Dixie State Rebels men's basketball coaches
Category:High school basketball coaches in the United States
Category:Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
Category:National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees