Melvin Watkins
Encyclopedia
Melvin Lenzo Watkins is an American
college basketball
coach and former player. He is an assistant coach under Mike Anderson
at the University of Arkansas
. He has also been the associate head coach at the University of Missouri
. He served as interim head coach during the end of the 2006 season, but returned to his former position when new coach Mike Anderson
was hired.
. Watkins started for the high school basketball team for three years, from 1970 - 1973. His senior year he was named team captain and, after helping the team earn the state championship, he was named a 1973 High School All-American. A feat shared with only two other Reidsville athletes, Marcus Harris and Frank"Gilbert" Fleming, who accomplished it 21 years later.
, where he was the point guard
and team captain of the 49ers' 1977 Final Four
team. His #32 jersey was retired at his final home game in 1977. While at UNC Charlotte Watkins made a point to complete his education, earning a B.A.
in Economics
in 1977.
Watkins was drafted in the fourth round of the 1977 NBA Draft
by the Buffalo Braves
, but only lasted one season in the NBA.
, and would continue as an assistant with Charlotte through eighteen seasons and three coaches - Pratt, Hal Wissel
, and Jeff Mullins. When Mullins retired in 1996, Watkins was promoted and became the seventh head coach in school history and the first Charlotte alumnus to hold the position.
In his first season as head coach Watkins was named the Conference USA Ray Meyer Coach of the Year. He compiled an overall 42-20 record in his two seasons as head coach, bringing the 49ers to the NCAA Tournament
twice, reaching the second round each year.
, a school which had enjoyed only one winning season in the previous eight years. During the next six years, Watkins failed to live up to the success he enjoyed at Charlotte, achieving an unimpressive 60-112 record.
In one of the team's more controversial games of Watkins's A&M career, A&M beat Texas Tech
78-76 by sinking a basket at the buzzer. As soon as the basket was declared good and A&M given the victory, Watkins shepherded his team off of the court and onto the team bus, without allowing them time to change. After watching a replay, officials declared that the basket had come after the buzzer, but Watkins refused to allow his team back on the court to play overtime, and after thirty minutes of discussion, the officials finally declared that A&M had won. The team left so fast that they forgot to bring their radio crew, leaving Watkins to conduct the post-game news conference from a cell phone while he was on the team's bus.
The low point came in 2003-04, when the Aggies put up a 7-22 record, going 0-16 in the Big 12 Conference
. Watkins was pressured into resigning during the Big 12 Tournament in 2004. He attributed much of the team's poor showing to the youth of the team's very talented recruits, which included freshman Acie Law IV
and sophomores Marlon Pompey and Antoine Wright
, and under his replacement Billy Gillispie
, Watkins's players developed into a very strong team, earning an 8-8 conference record and a trip to the NIT in 2004-2005.
During his tenure at Texas A&M, Watkins was noted for his outstanding recruiting, bringing eight National Top 100 recruits to the campus, including Antoine Wright
the school's tenth all-time leading scorer. He also placed a large emphasis on academics, turning out 15 Academic All-Big 12 first or second team members during his six years, and ensuring that fourteen of the seventeen players who completed their eligibility at A&M went on to graduate (the remaining three players are playing professional basketball in overseas leagues).
.
Watkins was named interim head coach at Mizzou following Quin Snyder
's firing on February 10, 2006, with the Tigers at a record of 10-11 and suffering from a six-game losing streak. Watkins led the team to a 2-4 record during the remainder of their conference play. Following the hiring of new head coach Mike Anderson, Watkins resumed his title of associate head coach.
Watkins is active in Habitat for Humanity, and has served as the co-chair of a battered women's shelter.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
coach and former player. He is an assistant coach under Mike Anderson
Mike Anderson
Michael Moschello "Mike" Anderson is a former American football running back and Marine. He was originally drafted by the Denver Broncos in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft, and also played for the Baltimore Ravens during his NFL career...
at the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
. He has also been the associate head coach at the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
. He served as interim head coach during the end of the 2006 season, but returned to his former position when new coach Mike Anderson
Mike Anderson (basketball coach)
Mike Anderson is the current head basketball coach for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks. He is a former assistant coach under Nolan Richardson at Arkansas and is best known for using his up tempo "The Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball" to rebuild the basketball programs at both the UAB and the...
was hired.
Early years
Melvin Watkins attended Reidsville High School in Reidsville, North CarolinaReidsville, North Carolina
Reidsville is a city located in Rockingham County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 14,485.Originally established in the early 19th century as an outpost and stop on the stage line that ran between Salisbury, NC and Danville, VA called Wrights Crossroads,...
. Watkins started for the high school basketball team for three years, from 1970 - 1973. His senior year he was named team captain and, after helping the team earn the state championship, he was named a 1973 High School All-American. A feat shared with only two other Reidsville athletes, Marcus Harris and Frank"Gilbert" Fleming, who accomplished it 21 years later.
Playing career
Watkins played college basketball at UNC CharlotteUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte , also known as UNC Charlotte or simply Charlotte, is a public research university located in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States...
, where he was the point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
and team captain of the 49ers' 1977 Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
team. His #32 jersey was retired at his final home game in 1977. While at UNC Charlotte Watkins made a point to complete his education, earning a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
in 1977.
Watkins was drafted in the fourth round of the 1977 NBA Draft
1977 NBA Draft
The 1977 NBA Draft was the 31st annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on June 10, 1977 before the 1977–78 season. In this draft, 22 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players...
by the Buffalo Braves
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
, but only lasted one season in the NBA.
UNC Charlotte
In 1978 Watkins became an assistant coach for UNC Charlotte head coach Mike PrattMike Pratt (basketball)
Michael P. Pratt is an American retired basketball player and coach. He was a 6'4" , 195 lb guard....
, and would continue as an assistant with Charlotte through eighteen seasons and three coaches - Pratt, Hal Wissel
Hal Wissel
Dr. Hal Wissel is an American basketball coach who has worked at the professional and collegiate level in his career.Wissel was an assistant coach for player development with the Golden State Warriors , an assistant coach with the Memphis Grizzlies , an assistant coach with the New Jersey Nets ,...
, and Jeff Mullins. When Mullins retired in 1996, Watkins was promoted and became the seventh head coach in school history and the first Charlotte alumnus to hold the position.
In his first season as head coach Watkins was named the Conference USA Ray Meyer Coach of the Year. He compiled an overall 42-20 record in his two seasons as head coach, bringing the 49ers to the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
twice, reaching the second round each year.
Texas A&M
At the end of the 1998 season Watkins accepted an offer to become the head coach at Texas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, a school which had enjoyed only one winning season in the previous eight years. During the next six years, Watkins failed to live up to the success he enjoyed at Charlotte, achieving an unimpressive 60-112 record.
In one of the team's more controversial games of Watkins's A&M career, A&M beat Texas Tech
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, often referred to as Texas Tech or TTU, is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and originally known as Texas Technological College, it is the leading institution of the Texas Tech University System and has the...
78-76 by sinking a basket at the buzzer. As soon as the basket was declared good and A&M given the victory, Watkins shepherded his team off of the court and onto the team bus, without allowing them time to change. After watching a replay, officials declared that the basket had come after the buzzer, but Watkins refused to allow his team back on the court to play overtime, and after thirty minutes of discussion, the officials finally declared that A&M had won. The team left so fast that they forgot to bring their radio crew, leaving Watkins to conduct the post-game news conference from a cell phone while he was on the team's bus.
The low point came in 2003-04, when the Aggies put up a 7-22 record, going 0-16 in the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
. Watkins was pressured into resigning during the Big 12 Tournament in 2004. He attributed much of the team's poor showing to the youth of the team's very talented recruits, which included freshman Acie Law IV
Acie Law IV
Acie Law IV is an American professional basketball player who plays for KK Partizan in Serbia. In his four seasons at Texas A&M University, Law scored 1,653 points and was credited with 540 assists...
and sophomores Marlon Pompey and Antoine Wright
Antoine Wright
Antoine Domonick Wright is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for Asefa Estudiantes in Spain. He attended preparatory school at Lawrence Academy at Groton; in 2002, he led the Spartans to an Independent School League Basketball Championship...
, and under his replacement Billy Gillispie
Billy Gillispie
Billy Clyde Gillispie , also known by his initials BCG, is an American college basketball coach. Since 2011, he has been the current head coach of the men's basketball team at Texas Tech University...
, Watkins's players developed into a very strong team, earning an 8-8 conference record and a trip to the NIT in 2004-2005.
During his tenure at Texas A&M, Watkins was noted for his outstanding recruiting, bringing eight National Top 100 recruits to the campus, including Antoine Wright
Antoine Wright
Antoine Domonick Wright is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for Asefa Estudiantes in Spain. He attended preparatory school at Lawrence Academy at Groton; in 2002, he led the Spartans to an Independent School League Basketball Championship...
the school's tenth all-time leading scorer. He also placed a large emphasis on academics, turning out 15 Academic All-Big 12 first or second team members during his six years, and ensuring that fourteen of the seventeen players who completed their eligibility at A&M went on to graduate (the remaining three players are playing professional basketball in overseas leagues).
University of Missouri
After tendering his resignation at Texas A&M, Watkins accepted a job as associate head coach at the University of MissouriUniversity of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
.
Watkins was named interim head coach at Mizzou following Quin Snyder
Quin Snyder
Quin Snyder is currently an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA. Snyder, was formerly in charge of player development for the 76ers and accepted the role in June 2010 after coaching the NBDL's Austin Toros for three seasons...
's firing on February 10, 2006, with the Tigers at a record of 10-11 and suffering from a six-game losing streak. Watkins led the team to a 2-4 record during the remainder of their conference play. Following the hiring of new head coach Mike Anderson, Watkins resumed his title of associate head coach.
Head coaching record
Personal life
Watkins is married to the former Burrell Bryant. They have three children, Manuale, Marcus, and Keia. Marcus played for his father at both Texas A&M and the University of Missouri.Watkins is active in Habitat for Humanity, and has served as the co-chair of a battered women's shelter.