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CMU hires former Miami assistant Morris Watts; DL coach Tim Daoust departs for Syracuse

By Aaron McMann on January 17, 2011 4:45 pm in Football / 2 comments

 

CMU has hired former Miami (OH) offensive coordinator Morris Watts as its new quarterbacks coach, a source confirmed to Central Michigan Life on Monday.

Morris Watts

The move was first reported by ChippewasInsider.com Sunday. An announcement is expected to be made later in the week.

Watts, 74, has more than 40 years of coaching experience. He spent the last two seasons at Miami, serving as quarterbacks coach in 2009 and offensive coordinator in 2010. Under Mike Haywood, he helped turn the RedHawks around from a 1-11 record in 2009 to 10-4 and a Mid-American Conference championship this season.

Watts comes to the Chippewas as a byproduct of Haywood’s issues at Pittsburgh. He was tabbed to be the Panthers new offensive coordinator until Haywood was arrested on a domestic violence charge and subsequently fired by the university.

Before his time at Miami, Watts bounced around the college and pro ranks, even coaching at the high school level in 2007 and 2008. He was head coach Dan Enos’ offensive coordinator at Michigan State from 1987-90.

Watts replaces Jay Johnson, who left CMU on Jan. 3 to become the offensive coordinator at Louisiana-Lafayette.

Daoust departs

With one change comes another.

Tim Daoust

Defensive line coach Tim Daoust has left the program to become an assistant coach at Syracuse University. The move was confirmed Monday by Syracuse.

The move happened in the last week as CMU posted an opening for a defensive line coach on the NCAA job search website Friday.

Daoust spent one season with the Chippewas, heading a defensive line that ranked 10th in the Mid-American Conference in rush defense, giving up 171.9 yards per game. Defensive lineman Sean Murnane was a third-team All-MAC selection, finishing the 2010 season with 36 total tackles.

Before arriving in Mount Pleasant, Daoust was defensive backs coach (2007-09) and defensive line coach (2006) at Western Michigan.

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  • Florenceschneider

    Watts will be fine as a QB coach. Now, if Enos would just step into the 21st Century and return the spread-option to Central Michigan University, our program may enjoy a winning season again.

  • Logical Chip

    No offense to the very senior Mr. Morris, but the reason for Miami’s massive turnaround last year had more to do with defense than his preparation of second year starter Zac Dysert (who was amazing long before he went there) Agreed Flo that he may be able to impart some wisdom, but never, ever, ever, never ever go back to the George Perles offense that stunk up Kelly Shorts Stadium (and elsewhere) last year.