University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Earl Watson Named Suns' Head Coach
April 19, 2016 | Men's Basketball
Former UCLA guard Earl Watson has been named the head coach of the Phoenix Suns, the organization announced on Tuesday afternoon.
Watson, who starred in the backcourt at UCLA from 1998-2001, had served as Phoenix's interim head coach since Feb. 1, helping the Suns compile a 9-24 record in 33 games to close the 2015-16 season. The Suns ranked second in the NBA in rebounds per game after Watson took the reins and became one of the league's most improved defensive teams in the final month of the regular season.
Watson becomes the first former UCLA basketball player to assume a full-time role as an NBA head coach. At age 36, he is also the youngest current NBA head coach.
A talented student-athlete at UCLA, Watson helped lead the Bruins to the NCAA Tournament in each of his four seasons, including trips to the Sweet 16 in 1998, 2000 and 2001. He captured All-Pac-10 Team honors as a senior in 2001 after having been a Pac-10 All-Freshman Team selection in 1998.
Drafted in the second round (No. 40 overall) by the Seattle SuperSonics in 2001, Watson enjoyed a 13-year NBA career, spending two stints with Seattle. He also played for Memphis, Denver, Oklahoma City, Indiana, Portland and Utah. Watson scored 5,593 points (6.4 ppg) and dished 3,871 assists (4.4 apg) in 878 career games, making 227 starts. He posted career-high averages of 10.7 points and 6.8 assists while playing for Seattle in 2007-08.
Now the 17th head coach in the history of the Suns franchise, Watson joined the organization as an assistant coach in the summer of 2015. He spent the 2014-15 season as an assistant coach in the NBA Development League, working with the Austin Spurs.
Watson, who graduated from UCLA in 2001 with a degree in history, left the basketball program with his name all over the school's record book. He currently ranks 23rd on UCLA's all-time scoring list and stands as the program's all-time leader in steals (235). He ranks fourth on the all-time assists list (607), trailing former NBA guards Pooh Richardson, Tyus Edney and Darrick Martin.
Watson finished his collegiate career having played in 129 games, tied for the seventh-highest total in program history. When he left UCLA in 2001, his career games total was tied as the second-highest in the school's record book.
