Josh Watts has already built one successful junior college wrestling program from scratch. Now the former three-time prep champion from Iowa is about to try to again. Watts was named the first wrestling coach at Iowa Western on Monday. The NJCAA Division I school is scheduled to begin competing in the sport for the upcoming 2011-12 athletic season.
The Reivers currently have no wrestlers. But Watts is out to change that quickly.
Hired only hours earlier, he had spoken with nearly 20 potential recruits by Monday evening.
“That’s going to be the biggest challenge – finding kids that can come in and compete right away,†he said. “We’re late in the game. ... Hopefully, we can piece something together.â€
Watts has been the head coach at Darton College in Albany, Ga., for the past four years. He guided the Cavaliers from a fledgling club program to a No. 6 ranking in NJCAA Division III during his first three seasons while producing 30 national qualifiers in all.
He said there’s an opportunity to find instant success at Iowa Western as well.
“I like building a program from scratch,†he said. “It will either succeed or fail on what I do.
“I was able to develop this (Darton) program in an area where wrestling is just not as big. It’s not even a secondary sport here. Up in the Midwest, where wrestling is a high priority, I think you can have a higher amount of success built up in a short amount of time.â€
Previously, Watts was an assistant coach at Loras College, where he wrestled for two years after beginning his collegiate career at the University of Northern Iowa. He won three state prep titles at Davenport Assumption, where he amassed a then-record 190 wins.
