University of Mount Olive

In the summer of 2018, Rob Watt was promoted to head coach of the Trojans after long-time head coach Carl Lancaster announced his retirement.

Watt was named as an assistant baseball coach in the summer of 2004 and has served as both a hitting coach and pitching coach. Watt is also an instructor in the recreation and leisure studies department.

Since Watt joined the Mount Olive baseball coaching staff, the Trojans have won five conference championships and have earned ten NCAA Tournament appearances. Mount Olive won NCAA II regional titles in 2008 and 2011, and won the NCAA Division II Baseball National Championship in 2008. The Trojans tied for third in the 2011 National Finals in Cary, N.C.

Watt has also coached 29 MLB Draft picks since the start of his coaching career at UMO and most recently two Trojans Kodi Whitley and Bruce Zimmermann are playing in the major leagues. In total four Trojans have made their Major League debut since Watt began coaching at UMO in 2004, Tom Layne, Carter Capps, Whitley, and Zimmermann.

The Trojans have consistently ranked among the national statistics leaders in many of the team hitting categories each year since Watt arrived at Mount Olive. Watt assumed duties as pitching coach early in the 2011 season and Mount Olive set a school record with a team earned run average of 2.78.

Watt has also spent four years coaching in the Coastal Plain League, a summer amateur wood bat league. Watt guided the Edenton Steamers to the 2004 CPL Championship and the Martinsville Mustangs to back-to-back first and second half league championships. Watt also coached in the CPL All-Star Game in 2006 and 2007.

Watt earned both his undergraduate and master’s degree in exercise science at Wayne State College (Neb.). Watt played two years of baseball at Wayne State and was team captain. He also spent four years as an assistant coach at Wayne State.

Watt and his wife Shawn have three children: Mason, Rowan and Rylie, who was born the year Mount Olive won the national championship. Mason and Rowan are die-hard New York Yankees fans, just like their dad.

Watt is originally from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, where both his and Shawn’s families are from.

Most Memorable Moments: “Wining the national title in 2008 and coaching in Cary in 2011. Following my former players in professional baseball is also a huge thrill to me.”

Favorite Quote: “Those who fail to prepare…prepare to fail.”

Watt says, “I have always admired Bobby Cox as a manager, although he no longer manages.”