FAYETTEVILLE -- Jason Watson liked the time he spent in Arkansas, so he's happy to return.
Watson was named Arkansas' new head volleyball coach, Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long announced Thursday.
Watson comes from Arizona State, where he guided the Sun Devils to NCAA Tournament berths the past four seasons. He's been a head coach for 11 seasons at Arizona State and Brigham Young, his alma mater. He also spent two years (1998 and 1999) as an assistant coach at Arkansas State.
"Jason Watson is a proven winner and will be a tremendous leader for our volleyball program at the University of Arkansas," Long said in a news release. "As a head coach at both BYU and Arizona State, Jason has reinvigorated programs, turning them into consistent NCAA Tournament teams while creating a team culture that positively impacts the lives of his student-athletes."
ASU began its 2015 campaign with 15 consecutive victories, the best start since the inaugural year of the program in 1973. The team finished the season 19-13 and was eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Overall, Watson is 200-147 and led seven teams to the NCAA Tournament, where he has won five matches.
Watson succeeds Robert Pulliza, who resigned Dec. 20. Pulliza was being investigated after an anonymous letter was sent to the university outlining allegations of mistreatment of players by Pulliza.
Watson said Arkansas reached out to him about the opening. He and his wife, Larissa, visited Fayetteville last week and were impressed.
"We were absolutely blown away by the city, the people we met on campus and the athletic facilities," Watson said. "We didn't really know what to expect, but it had a really good feel to it, and we left there just wow."
A job offer came soon after they returned to Arizona.
The good memories he and his wife had from their time in Jonesboro helped him decide coming back east was the right move.
"We reflected fondly on our time in Jonesboro, and we've lived in many different places," Watson said. "We felt the family's in a good place to make the move, and I'm in a good place professionally."
The Razorbacks finished 17-13 and 7-11 in the Southeastern Conference last season. They did not make the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year, but Watson said the program is in a good place.
"What a phenomenal opportunity for volleyball to be successful at Arkansas," Watson said. "I got the chance to speak to the team today on a Skype call, and I think the team is very close to being an NCAA Tournament team. I'm very excited for the challenge."
Sports on 01/08/2016