Fort Valley State Ramps up for Marlon Watson’s Debut Against West Alabama originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Fort Valley State announced Marlon Watson as the new head football coach back in February and his transition has been great for the program.
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Watson takes over after two seasons as the special teams coordinator at Prairie View A&M University. He found his way to the valley for his first head coaching gig.
“Georgia has always felt like home to me” Watson told reporters. “To get the opportunity to come back to Georgia, it’s almost a God send. You talk about people at Fort Valley, and the HBCU culture of things like that, it’s a no-brainer. It is a no-brainer that, I would say I chose, but they chose me, but just that partnership going back and forth with myself, and then the university.”
Prior to his short stint at Prairie View, Watson was the Defensive Coordinator at Elizabeth City College for two years. Before that, he spent three seasons at Alabama A&M University (AAMU). When he first arrived in 2016, he coached the nickel cornerbacks and helped with the defensive line. Watson also coached 1st Team All-SWAC Linebacker, Kenny Davis after taking over the linebacker position in 2017.
Before coaching at AAMU, Watson was a linebackers coach at Georgia Military College (GMC). He had three linebackers in the top five of team total tackles. He also had a short tenure at Bethel University in Tennessee in 2011 and 2012. He helped them reach the NAIA playoffs twice, in which they beat the #1 ranked team in the country in the playoffs in his second season.
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“You learn while building a program what to do and what not to do, you talk to mentors,” he continued. “All those experiences have helped me to where I am today.”
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Watson has a lot of experience that he brings to Fort Valley’s football program. His prior experience with special teams and defense can make a difference on those sides of the ball. He has Division I football coaching experience that he brings to a Division II program that won the Florida Beach Bowl in 2023. Having led a team to the playoffs before, Fort Valley hopes that Watson can bring his winning culture with him to the program.
Fort Valley State opens the 2025 football season against West Alabama on Saturday, Aug 30 in the Labor Day Classic at Legion Field in Birmingham.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
