LANSING, Mich. — Rod Watts is the man, the myth, the legend behind the Waverly High School boys basketball team's success. This year, he led them to their first division championship in 10 years.
“That’s part of the reason that we are doing this. I've been coaching basketball since 1990. My philosophy has always been using basketball as a vehicle, our goal is to help develop these young men,“ said Watts.
Coach Watts has been building a relationship with his players that’s unbreakable.
“Like the dad I never had, that’s the bond,“ said junior point guard Deunte Phifer.
Watts stuck around Waverly the year after he graduated from high school, and during an off-season scrimmage, he got his first taste of coaching when he least expected it.
“The coach got kicked out of the game, and so here I couldn’t play. I was like his assistant coach, I think he set me up. He got kicked out of the game, so then I had to coach guys that were just a year or two younger than me, but we did happen to win that game," Watts said.
Shortly after that game, Watts got his first coaching gig as a freshman and junior varsity coach. After multiple coaching stops, Watts' dream became reality, and he returned home to coach Waverly.
”The job opened up here, I just had to put in for it, and I was fortunate enough to get the job and here we are," he said.