Aaron Roussell, Bucknell’s head women’s basketball coach, announced the addition of assistant coach LaTonya Watson to his staff on Thursday morning. Roussell, who just completed his second season at the helm of the program, will welcome Watson to the Bison bench alongside current assistants Mike Lane and Katie Adams, as well as director of basketball operations Brittney Marshall.
“I am very excited and feel very fortunate to be adding someone of LaTonya’s caliber to our staff,” said Roussell. “She brings a ton of experience to this position, including three years of success at the highest level of the Patriot League. She is a tremendous fit for our program and will add to our team in so many ways. Our staff and players are eager to have her aboard.”
Watson brings 16 years of collegiate coaching experience to Lewisburg, having served as an assistant at both the University of Colorado and American University, as well as a graduate assistant at Eastern Michigan University for the 1992-93 season. She resumed her collegiate career in 1996 after three years at the high school level, spending nine seasons under head coach Ceal Barry at Colorado. The Buffaloes compiled a 152-92 record during that time and competed in the NCAA Tournament on five occasions, including an Elite Eight appearance in 2002. Watson, who coached 10 players who continued playing professionally during that time period, including 2002 WNBA draftee Mandy Nightingale, also served as the academic liaison on the coaching staff, working with the Academic Support Center to monitor and mentor her student-athletes.
After spending three years as a high school basketball coach and math teacher, Watson returned to the collegiate ranks in 2008, joining the staff at American University, where she coached for three seasons. The Eagles were incredibly successful during her time with the program, winning back-to-back regular season titles and playing in the Patriot League championship game in 2010 and 2011, and also making postseason appearances in the WNIT in 2009 and 2010. Watson, who mentored and developed three All-Patriot League players in her work with the perimeter players, including 2010 Player of the Year Michelle Kirk, served as American’s recruiting coordinator and consistently signed one of the top three recruiting classes in the Patriot League during each of her three seasons.
Watson returned to Colorado in the fall of 2011, and has spent the past three years with the Buffaloes under head coach Linda Lappe. She assisted in recruiting, daily practice planning, on-court coaching, player skill development and scouting of opponents in her most recent role, while also serving as the team’s academic liaison. As an assistant, Watson helped Colorado to 20-win seasons in 2012 and 2013, and assisted in guiding the team to postseason play for three consecutive years, including an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2013. The Buffaloes ended the 2013 regular season as the 19th-ranked team in the nation in the Associated Press Poll and the USA Today/Coaches’ Poll.
Watson worked with the guards during her second stint at Colorado, developing three All-Pac-12 players over the course of her tenure. One of her players, Chucky Jeffrey, a 2013 Associated Press All-American honorable mention selection, was drafted by the Minnesota Lynx in the second round of the 2013 WNBA Draft.
“I did not know LaTonya before this process began,” added Roussell, “but some of my good friends said incredible things about her work at previous stops. They all kept commenting on how much our current players and our recruits would love and respect her, and that feedback, combined with her experience and personality, quickly lifted her to the top of the applicant pool.”
Watson is a 1992 graduate of Eastern Michigan University where she majored in mathematics and minored in English literature. She played point guard on the Eagles’ basketball team from 1988-92 and earned second team All-Mid American Conference accolades in 1992. A three-time Academic All-MAC selection, a member of the 1989 MAC All-Freshmen team and an honorable mention All-Conference choice in 1991, Watson graduated ranking second in assists (446) and seventh in points (1,296) on the school’s career lists.
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