West Liberty University’s long serving athletic director is retiring on June 30, 2015. This announcement was shared with the media at a 9:30 a.m. news conference held today in Boyle Conference Center.
Watson served as athletic director for 26 years and was employed at West Liberty for 44 years.
“I am thankful for the many years of leadership and valuable service that Jim has provided. He has been responsible for so many achievements that helped our student athletes to reach success on the field, on the court and in the classroom. West Liberty University is grateful for his talents and devotion, and I am grateful for his friendship and astute counsel,” said Interim President Dr. John McCullough.
McCullough also announced that Dr. Aaron Huffman would serve as interim athletic director beginning July 1. Huffman is assistant professor of physical education and health. He also serves as assistant men’s basketball coach. He is married to WLU faculty member Courtney Huffman, a professor of Dental Hygiene.
“I am confident that Aaron will carry forward the tradition of quality leadership established by Jim. Aaron was recommended by Coach Watson and has strong support from the athletics staff,” McCullough said.
Watson played a major role in West Liberty’s growth from a small NAIA college to a NCAA Division II member university with competitive programs and quality facilities.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in Community Leadership and a master’s degree in Physical Education from Springfield (Mass.) College, the Syracuse, N.Y. native was hired as Hilltopper head baseball coach and athletic trainer in the summer of 1971.
He won 10 West Virginia Conference Northern Division titles in 11 seasons as coach. The five consecutive WVIAC baseball championships (1973-77) are a league record.
Watson gave up coaching in 1982 in order to devote more time to his expanding duties as the school’s head athletic trainer and associate professor of Physical Education, teaching classes in Sports Medicine and Emergency Medicine.
Named athletic director in August 1989, Watson was a driving force behind the WVIAC’s decision to switch from NAIA to NCAA Division II affiliation. Under his leadership, West Liberty made the move in 1991 with the league following suit three years later.
“Watson was a highly-respected member of numerous NCAA committees at the regional and national level, including a 4-year stint on the prestigious NCAA Division II Management Council, which handles business for all D II institutions in the United States and Canada.”
Watson also steered the renovation and upgrade of all athletic facilities, including the 2000 construction of the Academic, Sports, and Recreation Complex (ASRC), the renovation of the baseball field and tennis complex, the creation of the 2009 softball field and 2012 soccer field, and the new West Family Stadium, which includes new seating, press box, MondoTurf artificial surface, landscaping, decorative fencing and lighting.
West Liberty squads have won 34 conference titles in the past 15 years and eight of the Hilltoppers’ 16 intercollegiate sports teams have carried the Black and Gold banner into NCAA Division II regional or national tournament play during Watson’s tenure.
Hilltopper athletes also earned many regional and national academic awards during his era. The wrestling team was the 2003 national academic champion and this year had seven wrestlers named to the national All-Academic Team. Tori Hansen was the 2011 NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Academic All-American of the Year and C.J. Hester was a 3-time NCAA Division II Academic All-American with the Hilltoppers’ nationally-ranked men’s basketball team.
Additionally, WLU won the NCAA Division II Community Engagement Award of Excellence twice.
Watson has received numerous personal awards and honors over the years. Among the more significant are his induction into the WLU Hall of Fame, the 2010 NCAA Division II Southeast Region Athletic Director of the Year Award and the WVIAC’s Mike McLaughlin Award in recognition of his contributions to the league.
A resident of Wheeling, he and his wife Lynn are the parents of three grown children: Matthew, Brian and Jena.
For more information on WLU or Hilltopper Athletics, please visit westliberty.edu.
