Justin Watts

Biography

Justin Watts joined the Blue Devil gridiron program in December 2023 and serves as an assistant coach, working primarily with the tight ends. With more than 20 years of coaching experience and 185-plus wins, Watts has coached in 16 bowl games and helped his teams earn five conference titles. Watts’ bowl games include the 2001 Humanitarian, 2002 Tangerine, 2006 Motor City, 2009 New Orleans, 2010 GoDaddy.com, 2013 Armed Forces, 2015 Camellia, 2016 Camellia, 2017 Dollar General, 2018 New Orleans, 2019 New Orleans, 2020 Myrtle Beach, 2021 Boca Raton, 2023 Cure, 2024 Gator and 2025 Sun. After a first year in Durham riddled by injuries, Watts’ unit rebounded in 2025 and was led by All-ACC Honorable Mention selection Jeremiah Hasley. Hasley finished the year with 40 receptions for 454 yards (11.35) and six touchdowns. He ranked tied for sixth in the ACC with six TD receptions. He had at least one scoring grab in each of the final four games, including two in the ACC Championship Game and one in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl. Hasley’s six touchdowns tied for the third most in a season by a Blue Devil tight end. In helping the Blue Devils capture the ACC Championship, Hasley hauled in the game-winning score in overtime with a one-yard TD reception on fourth down. He became the ninth player to record two or more receiving scores in an ACC Championship Game. He also is just the third Blue Devil since 1996 to have multiple receiving touchdowns in a game versus a ranked foe, joining Andrel