Football
- Title:
- Special Teams Quality Control
- Phone:
- 559-278-3015
THE WATKINSÂ FILE
Hometown:Â Omaha, Nebraska
High School:Â Omaha Burke High SchoolÂ
EDUCATION
Peru State
- Bachelors degree:
Secondary Education (2017)
Northern State University
- Master's Degree:
Teaching and Learning (2019)
COACHING HISTORY
Fresno State
2024: Linebackers
2023: Defensive Quality Control
2021-22: Defensive Graduate Assistant
2020: Special Teams Quality Control
Colorado
2019: Defensive Assistant
Northern State
2017-19: Graduate Assistant
Peru State
2016: Student Assistant
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
Position: Linebacker
2012-16: Peru State
Last Updated: December 26, 2024
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Ben Watkins spent five seasons on staff at Fresno State (2020-24) in various positions. Watkins spent the 2021-22 seasons as a defensive graduate assistant working with the linebackers. He began his tenure with the Bulldogs in 2020 as a special teams quality control assistant. The 2023 season was his first as a defensive quality control. In 2024, he was elevated to linebackers coach.
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Watkins coached the Bulldogs’ top two tacklers in 2024, both who earned All-Mountain West honors. Senior Tuasivi Nomura garnered first team All-MW honors with 109 total tackles on the year. He had the most tackles by a Bulldog since 2019. Senior Malachi Langley was second on the team in tackles with 84 on the year. He was a second team All-MW honoree. Nomura and Langley each started all 13 games in 2024. Nomura and Langley both being on the first or second team marks just the second time since joining the league that Fresno State has had two linebackers on the first or second team. The duo joins Mykal Walker and Justin Rice who were both first team picks in 2019.
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Watkins arrived at Fresno State from Colorado where he served as a defensive assistant in 2019. Prior to joining the staff at Colorado, Watkins was a graduate assistant at Northern State University where he coached the outside linebackers and offensive scout team for two seasons.
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A native of Omaha, Watkins began his coaching career as a student assistant at his alma mater Peru State in 2016. He worked with the inside linebackers, special teams, and offensive scout team.
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Athletically he was a 4-year letter winner at Peru State as an outside and inside linebacker. He graduated from PSC with a bachelor's degree in secondary education in 2017. Watkins earned his master's degree in teaching and learning from NSU in 2019.
