Rodney Watson

Rodney Watson (born July 18, 1960) is the head coach for the University of Southern Indiana team. Watson succeeded Rick Herdes, who resigned following a scandal that ultimately resulted in suspension from postseason play for one year.
Early life
Watson was born in Paris, Illinois and graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 1982.
Coaching career
Watson's coaching career began in 1982 at Coulterville High School in Coulterville, Illinois, where he led the team to an Illinois high school regional championship. In 1984, he became the head coach at Madison High School in Madison, Illinois, where he coached the Trojans to an appearance in the Illinois high school Elite Eight.
Collegiate Assistant
In 1986, Watson began a two-year stay as an assistant the University of Nebraska-Omaha men's basketball team, before becoming an assistant coach at Southern Illinois University men's team in 1988 and remained until after the 2008-2009 season. During his twenty-one seasons with the Salukis, he helped coach the team to a 430-238 record, eleven Missouri Valley Conference championships, and nine NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament appearances (the Salukis had only had one previously)--including six in his last seven years. While at SIU, Watson worked under head coaches such as Bruce Weber, Matt Painter, and Chris Lowery.
Southern Indiana
On May 22, 2009, Watson was hired to fill a vacancy created by the departure of Rick Herdes, who resigned following a scandal involving multiple NCAA rules violations by USI. Despite a one-year prohibition on postseason play imposed by the GLVC, Watson has led the team to a 23-0 start and a #2 ranking in the NABC Division II Top 25 Poll making it the best start for a first-year coach at USI.

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