Park University (MO)

Neil Watson joined Park University in the 2021-22 season as an assistant men’s basketball coach. He is an alumnus of the University of Southern Mississippi from the class of 2014. Prior to his time at USM, he attended Coffeyville Community College.

During his collegiate playing career, he was an all-conference performer in each of his three seasons at USM. From 2012 through 2014 he earned second team, third team, and first team all-conference awards. The 2014 season at USM was especially high-performing for Watson, as USM were League Co-Champions and he was named a Reece Top 20 All-Star.

He continued to play professionally for five years after his collegiate career and was first team all-league for the Leicester Riders in England in 2015 and 2016. He also was a league leader in assists and top five in points in 2018 for the Plymouth Raiders in the English Basketball League.

Since then, he has been a youth basketball coach for seven years and a high school coach for a year. He has also found a niche role as a player development specialist for two years.

His brother, BJ Watson was a men’s basketball player at Park from 2014 through the 2016 season and a Pirates’ assistant men’s basketball coach from 2017 through the 2020-21 season.