Tre Watson is in his fourth season as a defensive backs coach at Cal in 2024 and his third sharing the duties with Terrence Brown. Watson, who in 2020 was among a group of 30 coaches listed in 247Sports' "30Under30", was previously the defensive backs coach at UNLV for one season (2020) following two seasons as a defensive graduate assistant at Oregon (2018-19).
Coaching Career
California – Defensive Backs (2021 – Present)
– Has a strong combination of returnees and transfer portal additions to comprise the defensive backfield in 2024 led by a pair of sixth-year Cal seniors in two-time honorable mention selection Craig Woodson (2022, '23) and Miles Williams, 2023 first-year starters Nohl Williams and Matthew Littlejohn, two others with significant starting previous starting experience at Cal in Collin Gamble and Lu-Magia Hearns III, and promising transfers in 2023 FCS first-team All-American Marcus Harris (Idaho), Jasiah Wagoner (Oklahoma) and Ryan Yaites (LSU)
– Co-coached a unit that helped the Cal defense become elite at taking away the ball away and in 2023 lead the nation with 16 fumbles recovered and tied for the national lead with 28 turnovers gained, both pacing the Pac-12, while the Bears' three defensive touchdowns were second in the Pac-12 and tied for 15th nationally, their 12 interceptions tied for third in the Pac-12 and tied for 36th nationally, and the rushing defense sixth in the Pac-12 and 35th nationally (133.4 ypg), with Patrick McMorris being selected in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins after posting strong numbers (90 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 1.0 SK, 1 INT, 8 PBU, 2 FR, 2 FF) and Woodson (81 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1 INT, 4 PBU, 2 FF) earning his second straight honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection
– Helped the Bears win their final three regular-season games in 2023 to become bowl eligible and appear in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl
– In his second season at Cal in 2022, along with Brown tutored a pair of the Pac-12's top safeties in Daniel Scott and Woodson, as well as one of the nation's top freshmen defensive backs in cornerback Jeremiah Earby, with Scott a fifth-round selection of the Indianapolis Colts in the 2023 NFL Draft after being a third-team All-Pac-12 pick of Phil Steele and Pro Football Focus as a 2022, Earby a second-team College Football News Freshman All-American, and all three honorable mention All-Pac-12 selections of the league's coaches
– Part of a Cal defensive coaching staff that helped the Bears tie for fifth in the Pac-12 with 18 turnovers gained and finish the campaign sixth in the league in scoring defense (27.7 ppg)
– In his first season at Cal in 2021, coached a defense that played a significant role in helping the Bears to a strong second half of the season by holding four of its last six opponents to 14 points or less before finishing the campaign second in the Pac-12 in scoring defense (22.2 ppg), fourth in total defense (366.7 ypg) and in the top half of the league in nearly every category
– Coached third-team All-American Elijah Hicks and a pair of safeties in Hicks and Scott that earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors from Pro Football Focus in 2021 with Hicks also selected a first-team All-Pac-12 defensive back by the league's coaches, the winner of the Pop Warner College Football Award, and a semifinalist for the prestigious Campbell Trophy and Jason Witten College Man of the Year, among many honors, after notching 72 tackles while co-leading the Pac-12 with a career-high four forced fumbles and 0.33 forced fumbles per game (No. 11T NCAA), while he also had three interceptions to tie for third in the conference, while Scott was among the Pac-12 leaders in solo tackles (team-high 60, No. T2 Pac-12), interceptions (team-high-tying 3, No. T3 Pac-12) and total tackles (team-high 82, No. 10 Pac-12) with all three career bests
– Also responsible for the development of then freshman cornerback Hearns, who finished the 2021 campaign with team highs of 10 pass breakups that ranked tied for second in the Pac-12 and 11 passes defended that were third, while his 1.00 passes defended per game were also third in the conference
– Coached sixth-year senior Josh Drayden, now a Cal defensive graduate assistant, in the final 12 games (all starts) of his career in 2021 on his way to a school-record 55 career games played.
– Coached three Cal defensive backs currently on NFL rosters in Hicks (Chicago), Scott (Indianapolis) and McMorris (Miami) with Hicks a seventh-round selection of the Bears in the 2022 NFL Draft
– On the recruiting front, has helped Cal bring in a 2023 spring transfer portal class that was listed by The Athletic as one of its 10 "winners", while also being recognized by On3 (1 of 12 "winners") and 247Sports (No. 17 overall class) then followed that up with a 2024 transfer portal group that is currently ranked as high as No. 16 by On3 after reaching as high as No. 6 by the media outlet at one point
UNLV – Defensive Backs (2020)
– Hired for his first full-time collegiate coaching position as the defensive backs coach in 2020 after working on the same staff as first-year UNLV head coach Marcus Arroyo in 2018 and 2019 at Oregon
Oregon – Defensive Graduate Assistant (2018-19)
– Won a Pac-12 title in 2019 and a pair of bowl games – Redbox Bowl (2018), Rose Bowl (2019) – and compiled a 21-6 (.778) record during his two seasons coaching with the Ducks, going 9-4 in 2018 and 12-2 in 2019
– Oregon intercepted 37 passes during his two seasons on the coaching staff, ranking No. 2 nationally in 2019 (20) and tied for 11th in 2018 (17)
– Coached Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins safeties Ugo Amadi and Jevon Holland, as well as 2019 Freshman All-American Verone McKinley III
– Coached three Oregon players now on NFL rosters in Ugo Amadi (New Orleans), Jevon Holland (Miami), McKinley III (Arizona) with Amadi selected in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft by Seattle, while Holland was taken by Miami in the second round in 2021 and McKinley III signed as an undafted free agent by the Dolphins in 2022
Collegiate Playing Career – Washington (2011-13); Central Washington (2010); West Hills College (2009)
– Finished his collegiate playing career with three seasons at Washington, earning a scholarship prior to his 2012 redshirt junior campaign after originally joining the Huskies as a walk-on transfer from Central Washington and redshirting as a 2011 junior
– Compiled 74 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss (-5 yards), two interceptions that he returned for 118 yards including an 84-yard touchdown, 12 pass breakups, 14 passes defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery, while playing in all 26 games possible over his final two seasons at Washington
– Played in all 11 games (10 starts) as a 2010 sophomore at Central Washington and finished with 28 tackles, two interceptions including one he returned 40 yards, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick to help the Wildcats to an 8-3 overall mark and a 7-1 record in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference
– Played in 10 games as a 2009 freshman at West Hills College, notching 34 tackles, two interceptions including one he returned for a touchdown, six pass breakups and eight passes defended
Prep Playing Career – Kennedy High School (Class Of 2009)
– An All-State player at Kennedy High School as a 2008 prep senior who helped his squad to a 9-2 record, a Seamount League title and a state quarterfinal berth as a running back who scored 35 touchdowns and finished with 1,818 rushing yards
Other
– Spent three years in Seattle from 2014-16 training NFL players in the offseason and former college players for the NFL Combine in between his playing and coaching careers, working primarily with Seattle Seahawks and former Washington players including Budda Baker, DeShawn Shead, Shaq Thompson, Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright
Tre Watson Coaching History
Season: Team – Coaching Position (Postseason)
2018: Oregon – Graduate Assistant, Defense
2019: Oregon – Graduate Assistant, Defense
2020: UNLV – Defensive Backs
2021: California – Defensive Backs
2022: California – Defensive Backs
2023: California – Defensive Backs (Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl)
2024: California – Defensive Backs
*Season in which bowl game was played
Tre Watson File
Birthdate: May 17, 1991
Hometown: Seattle, WA
High School: Kennedy HS
College: Washington, 2013, BA, Communication
Family: Wife – Taryn
Last Updated
July 21, 2024
