Prior to coming to MNU, Watkins spent the last 2 years as the Men’s Head Track and Field Coach and Asst. Cross Country Coach at Fullerton College. At FC his restructuring of the program yielded immediate results as the Fullerton girls cross country program, finished the highest in schools history taking 4th at the State meet and finishing with two Jr. College All-Americans. One of those athletes, Daisy Esparza went on to take 2nd and 3rd respectively at the California Track and Field State Meet in the 5k and 10k. This past season Watkins coached the State Champion in the heptathlon and the #2, 400-hurdler and #3, 400-meter dash runners in the state.

Before Fullerton College, Watkins worked for current MNU athletic director Kevin Steele, re-instating the Cal Baptist University Men and Women’s Cross Country and Distance Track Programs. Watkins built the program up to 48 athletes, and developed a nationally ranked (22nd) men’s cross-country team.

Watkins was most proud of his men and women’s teams with the highest GPA among all teams on campus for his entire 4 years at CBU. Watkins also had his men's and women's teams honored with the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Five Star Champions of Character Award at the 2011 Outdoor Championships for displaying exemplary character throughout the 2010-11 campaign.

Watkins spent eight seasons as the Assistant Coach for Cross-Country and Track and Field at NCAA Division II Cal Poly Pomona. He was a valuable assistant for the Broncos track and field program, working with decathletes, heptahletes, pole-vaulters, jumpers as well as distance runners; He also served as the lead assistant for cross-country. At Cal Poly, Watkins coached 6 different athletes in 5 different events to NCAA All American honors.

Prior to his stint at Cal Poly Pomona, Watkins spent 16 years at Los Altos (Calif.) High, spending 10 of those as the head coach of both the Cross Country and Track and Field teams. In his last seven years as head coach, Los Altos was undefeated in cross country and won four league titles in track and field.

In the early 1990s, Watkins competed as a nationally ranked duathlete (running and cycling) and mountain biker. He owned a personal training business and served as the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Top Gun Volleyball Club in Diamond Bar, Calif., developing programs for 12 elite age-group volleyball teams.

For 24 years, Watkins worked full-time in the business world, owning and managing the day-to-day operations for Lube Pit Stop (automotive maintenance) in Industry, Calif. He sold the business in order to concentrate on coaching. Watkins graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with his bachelor in kinesiology in 2003 and completed in his master’s in sports science from the U.S. Sports Academy in May 2007.

Watkins and his wife, Trish, have relocated to Olathe and have lived Southern California most of their lives.

They have four children--Jessica, Matt, Sarah and Conor.