Michigan State University Athletics
Spartan Football Mourns the Passing of Morris Watts
5/8/2026 4:50:00 PM | Football
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State football mourns the passing of former longtime Spartan coach Morris Watts, who passed away earlier this week. Watts was 88 (1938-2026).
Watts' career spanned more than 50 seasons in coaching, including 12 seasons at Michigan State as the program's offensive coordinator. He served as MSU's offensive coordinator on three separate occasions (1986-90, 1992-94, 1999-2002) and was the interim head coach for the final three games of the 2002 season.
Watts first came to Michigan State as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 1986 under head coach George Perles. During Watts' tenure from 1986-90, Michigan State compiled a 37-19-3 record (.652), won two Big Ten titles (1987 and 90) and made four postseason bowl appearances (1987 Rose, '88 Gator, '89 Aloha and '90 Sun). His stay at Michigan State was interrupted by a one-year stint as quarterbacks coach with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he tutored Vinny Testaverde. Watts returned to East Lansing in 1992 and spent three more seasons on the Spartan coaching staff under Perles, serving as assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
A native of Seneca, Missouri, Watts came back to MSU in 1999 for his third stint as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. During his only season under head coach Nick Saban in 1999, Watts directed a Spartan offense that averaged 31.5 points per game – its highest scoring average in 21 years – as Michigan State went 10-2 overall and finished No. 7 in the national polls.
Watts remained on the Spartan staff with head coach Bobby Williams for the next three seasons (2000-02). In 2001, Watts was nominated for the Broyles Award, given annually to the nation's top assistant coach, as the Spartans led the Big Ten in passing offense (292.5 ypg) and total offense (447.0 ypg) and ranked third in scoring offense (31.2 ppg). Watts served as interim head coach for the final three games of the 2002 season, compiling a 1-2 record, including a 56-21 win at Indiana in his debut on Nov. 9, 2002.
Watts played running back at Tulsa where he earned his bachelor's degree in 1961. He received a master's degree from Pittsburg (Kan.) State in 1964.
His first collegiate coaching position came as the offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach and wide receivers coach at Drake from 1965-71. Other stops prior to Michigan State included time at Louisville (offensive coordinator, quarterbacks and wide receivers, 1972), Indiana (offensive coordinator, quarterbacks and wide receivers, 1973-81), Kansas (offensive coordinator and quarterbacks, 1982) and the USFL's Birmingham Stallions (quarterbacks, 1984-85).
Watts was also the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at LSU from 1995-98 before returning to Michigan State in 1999.
Following his time at MSU, Watts coached at Mississippi State (offensive coordinator, 2003), Broken Arrow High School in Oklahoma (2007-08), Miami-Ohio (quarterbacks in 2009; offensive coordinators/QBs in 2010), Central Michigan (passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach in 2011-13; offensive coordinator/quarterbacks in 2014-16), Arkansas (offensive analyst, 2017) and Texas Southern (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks in 2018).
Watts' career spanned more than 50 seasons in coaching, including 12 seasons at Michigan State as the program's offensive coordinator. He served as MSU's offensive coordinator on three separate occasions (1986-90, 1992-94, 1999-2002) and was the interim head coach for the final three games of the 2002 season.
Watts first came to Michigan State as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 1986 under head coach George Perles. During Watts' tenure from 1986-90, Michigan State compiled a 37-19-3 record (.652), won two Big Ten titles (1987 and 90) and made four postseason bowl appearances (1987 Rose, '88 Gator, '89 Aloha and '90 Sun). His stay at Michigan State was interrupted by a one-year stint as quarterbacks coach with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he tutored Vinny Testaverde. Watts returned to East Lansing in 1992 and spent three more seasons on the Spartan coaching staff under Perles, serving as assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
A native of Seneca, Missouri, Watts came back to MSU in 1999 for his third stint as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. During his only season under head coach Nick Saban in 1999, Watts directed a Spartan offense that averaged 31.5 points per game – its highest scoring average in 21 years – as Michigan State went 10-2 overall and finished No. 7 in the national polls.
Watts remained on the Spartan staff with head coach Bobby Williams for the next three seasons (2000-02). In 2001, Watts was nominated for the Broyles Award, given annually to the nation's top assistant coach, as the Spartans led the Big Ten in passing offense (292.5 ypg) and total offense (447.0 ypg) and ranked third in scoring offense (31.2 ppg). Watts served as interim head coach for the final three games of the 2002 season, compiling a 1-2 record, including a 56-21 win at Indiana in his debut on Nov. 9, 2002.
Watts played running back at Tulsa where he earned his bachelor's degree in 1961. He received a master's degree from Pittsburg (Kan.) State in 1964.
His first collegiate coaching position came as the offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach and wide receivers coach at Drake from 1965-71. Other stops prior to Michigan State included time at Louisville (offensive coordinator, quarterbacks and wide receivers, 1972), Indiana (offensive coordinator, quarterbacks and wide receivers, 1973-81), Kansas (offensive coordinator and quarterbacks, 1982) and the USFL's Birmingham Stallions (quarterbacks, 1984-85).
Watts was also the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at LSU from 1995-98 before returning to Michigan State in 1999.
Following his time at MSU, Watts coached at Mississippi State (offensive coordinator, 2003), Broken Arrow High School in Oklahoma (2007-08), Miami-Ohio (quarterbacks in 2009; offensive coordinators/QBs in 2010), Central Michigan (passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach in 2011-13; offensive coordinator/quarterbacks in 2014-16), Arkansas (offensive analyst, 2017) and Texas Southern (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks in 2018).
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