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Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Athletics

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF SAINT MARY'S UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA CARDINAL ATHLETICS

Pete Watkins

  • Title
    Head Men's Soccer Coach
  • Email
    pwatkins@smumn.edu
  • Phone
    507-457-1583 (o) | 331-222-6959 (c)
Year at SMU: 6th (in 2016 | Year-by-Year Record
Record at SMU: 33-65-9
Career Record: 134-113-27
Pete Watkins is the head men’s soccer coach and serves as Director of Physical Education and Recreation at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, positions he has held since the 2010-2011 academic year 

Watkins earned his BA in psychology at MacMurray College in 1995 and his Master’s Degree of Recreational Administration at Aurora University in 2006. He is a professional member of NIRSA, the national governing body for campus recreation and intramural activities. Watkins is responsible for the development, implementation and oversight of Recreation at Saint Mary’s Additionally, Watkins serves as an instructor in both the Sport Management and Physical Education curriculums at Saint Mary’s.
 
As a college soccer coach, Watkins has presided over the sidelines as a head coach continuously since 1997, which marked his first season as a head coach of the NCAA Division I women’s soccer program at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La. Watkins coached women’s soccer from 1995-2002, first serving as the assistant coach at Stephen F. Austin, moving on to Northwestern State as the head coach of the Demons, and finally, leading the inception of the women’s soccer program at Ferris State University.
 
Watkins moved into the men’s college soccer environment when hired at Aurora University to revitalize its men’s soccer program. Watkins took over an Aurora program that went 1-19-0 — and was winless in conference play — in 2002. During his time at the helm, the Spartans earned two Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference regular-season titles, one conference tournament crown and appeared in five conference tournament title games. Aurora, which earned its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance under Watkins’ reign in 2006, has appeared in the NCAA regional rankings in 2005, 2006 and 2010, while also earning NSCAA regional recognition every year since 2005.

Watkins — who has earned the highest NSCAA coaching level possible, the Premier Diploma — came to Saint Mary’s after spending eight seasons as the head men’s soccer coach at Aurora University, where he compiled a 101-48-13 record.

As a player, Watkins earned All-St. Louis Athletic Conference accolades in his junior and senior seasons at MacMurray (Ill.) College and was a starting midfielder on the Highlanders 1993 NCAA tournament team. Watkins earned Adidas Academic-All American honors during his senior season and earned MacMurray’s Bill Wall Award for Leadership in Athletics.

Watkins and his wife, Laura, have three childen, Campbell, Mae and Seth.
 
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