Why new safeties coach Tre Watson could be a home run hire for TCU football
After losing longtime safeties coach Paul Gonzales to rival Baylor, TCU knew it needed to hit a home run with his replacement.
That’s how the program settled on former California defensive backs coach Tre Watson, a rising star in the profession. Watson comes to Fort Worth with an impressive track record that’s gone under the radar nationally.
During his four seasons at Cal, Watson developed three NFL draft picks, helped coach a defense that led the nation in turnovers in 2023 and he also coached first team All-American Nohl Williams this past season. Despite spending all of his career on the West Coast, Watson said the opportunity at TCU was one he couldn’t ignore.
“Everything is timing; we’re a faith-based family,” Watson said in a phone interview. “When this opportunity was presented, to be reconnected with Coach (Andy) Avalos and Coach (Ken) Wilson, guys I’ve worked with. The last time we were together we won a Rose Bowl.
“So this was a great opportunity with where the program is going, to have an opportunity to compete for a national championship and the success under Coach (Sonny) Dykes and what he’s been able to do, I felt like it was great timing for me.”
Watson got his coaching tenure started under Avalos as a graduate assistant at Oregon in 2018-19. The time in Eugene was an important step in shaping his coaching future as Watson helped coach future NFL players like Jevon Holland and Ugo Amadi.
He also watched Avalos help lead Oregon to a Pac-12 championship and a Rose Bowl win in 2019, two moments that still resonate with him today.
“It was a huge (learning experience),” Watson said. “His way of preparing for a game was so meticulous in terms of the culture and the emphasis on getting the most out of those guys. They played really hard together and that type of chemistry and success can be bred if guys bought into it.”
So what type of coach is TCU getting in Watson? A former defensive back at Washington, Watson prides himself on his player development skills.
“I’m very passionate. The three things I would say are develop, challenge and technique,” Watson said of his coaching style. “Develop the guys mentally and physically. Learn to stress their capacity for what they can handle so they can grow. Challenge your ultimate why of why are they here? What are they trying to get out of this opportunity?
“And technique will set you free. Believing in the fundamentals of being efficient with our movements. Efficient movement leads to production.”
Watson’s mentality was molded through his journey up the college football world. He started his collegiate career at West Hills College in California and then transferred to Central Washington in 2010. Then Watson went to Washington, where he had to walk-on before eventually earning a scholarship in 2012.
His experience as a former walk-on and as a trainer for NFL draft prospects around the Seattle area helped give Watson multiple perspectives on coaching and developing which he’s applied throughout his career.
“It’s kept me humble and hungry to appreciate the little things in the process,” Watson said. “When I’m in front of a room, I can shed light on being in every seat in this room. I’ve been the walk-on, I’ve been the backup, I’ve been the starter. I’ve been in every position to be able to shed light on how you handle the ebbs and flows of being a collegiate athlete.”
Watson had plenty of success at Cal and UNLV and he enters a scenario where the cupboard is loaded. TCU returns starting safety Jamel Johnson, a former four-star recruit from Arlington Seguin, who had 73 tackles and a forced fumble last season.
The Horned Frogs signed LSU transfer Kylin Jackson, another former four-star recruit, out of the portal in December. Most importantly, Watson will also have the chance to coach star safety Bud Clark.
Clark is coming off the best season of his career earning an All-Big 12 honor and being graded one of the top safeties in the country by Pro Football Focus. Watson’s main goal is to maximize each player in the room, especially Clark, who has NFL upside.
“I think the biggest thing is you see his range and his ball skills (on film),” Watson said of Clark. “You see his production. The things we talked about immediately is how he’s processing the game and where can we allow him to be more efficient with his movements.
“He’s an awesome player and my job is to go in and make sure he has more situational football awareness and has more production ultimately for the scouts and GMs to see exactly what we all see. That he is a Day 1 talent.”
Replacing nickel safety Abe Camara will be tough, but with Clark, Johnson and a talented group of younger Horned Frogs, the safety position could be one of the strengths of the defense.
Clark told the media he and his teammates want to be the best safety room in America. Watson appreciated the hunger and wants to do everything he can to help them obtain that status.
“That’s always the goal,” Watson said. “When I was at Oregon we led the country in takeaways. When I was at Cal, we led the country in takeaways, we were No. 2 in the conference in takeaways the following year. The expectations are always to be the best group.”
