Watson Brown

CELINA-Tennessee Tech University (TTU) football coach Watson Brown and his Golden Eagle coaching staff hosted a coaches clinic here June 5 at Clay County High School (CCHS) beginning at 2 p.m.

All CCHS, junior high, youth league, and sideline football coaches were encouraged to assemble here at Coach John Teeples Field Wednesday afternoon for the informative event and stay for a meal provided in the school’s cafeteria at 4:30 p.m.

Brown has been at Tech since 2006 where he led them to the Ohio Valley Conference title in 2011.

Brown’s first head coaching job was at Austin Peay at the age of 29. His other head coaching jobs include Vanderbilt, Cincinnati, Rice and the University of Alabama-Birmingham.  He has also been an assistant coach or offensive coordinator at six other schools, including Oklahoma.

The well-known coach has long ties to Clay County and lived near the old Celina High School here in his younger years.

The Brown family later moved to Cookeville, where Watson went on to football stardom leading him to playing quarterback at Vanderbilt Universtity.

His local ties date back to his grandfather, Eddie Watson, who was not only an outstanding athlete in Clay County, but was also a very successful coach and educator at both Celina High School and Willow Grove High School before doing the same in Cookeville.

Brown’s father Melvin was also a Clay County educator and coach who served as superintendent of Clay County schools in the 1950’s.