Drexel University Athletics
Staff Directory
Dave Watts
- Title:
- Women's Tennis Head Coach
Dave Watts has been named the Head Coach of the Drexel women's tennis program, Drexel University Vice President, Director of Athletics & Recreation Maisha Kelly announced on Wednesday. Watts arrives in Philadelphia following a successful stint at Baylor, where he served as the Associate Head Coach for the Bears’ nationally ranked women’s program.
“We were impressed by Dave’s experience in building strong programs and his commitment to student-athlete development,” Kelly said. “His ability to recruit, develop and lead successful teams at multiple levels, along with his focus on building a positive and competitive culture, made him the right fit to lead our women’s tennis program forward. We are excited to welcome Dave to Drexel and look forward to the impact he will have on our student-athletes and the continued growth of the program.”
At Baylor, Watts played a key role in the development of a program that advanced to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 and achieved a national ranking of 37. He was instrumental in assembling a nationally ranked recruiting class and contributing to all aspects of program operations, including practice planning, scouting and match preparation.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lead Drexel Women’s Tennis and step into a program with so much potential. I want to sincerely thank Maisha Kelly and Greg Cusick for their belief in me and for welcoming me into the Drexel community. Throughout this process, I was drawn to Drexel’s commitment to student-athlete growth and competitive excellence. I’m excited to build strong relationships with our players, develop a culture centered on daily improvement and create a team that competes with confidence and purpose every time we take the court in pursuit of a CAA Championship.”
Prior to his time at Baylor, Watts served as the Head Men's and Women's Tennis Coach at Our Lady of the Lake University from 2022 to 2025. During his tenure, he elevated the women’s program to 14th in the nation, while coaching the NAIA ITA No. 1 singles player and multiple All-Americans. On the men’s side, Watts guided the program to third in the nation and a conference finals appearance. His teams captured both the men’s and women’s conference championships in 2025, and he earned Women’s Coach of the Year honors.
Watts initially joined Our Lady of the Lake as an assistant coach, where he was involved in practice planning, scouting, video analysis and travel coordination. Alongside his collegiate coaching experience, he also served as the Head Tennis Professional at Blossom Athletic Center, where he oversaw a large coaching staff, expanded junior programming and developed a Little Mo national champion.
Watts earned his Bachelor of Arts in kinesiology from Our Lady of the Lake University and is a USPTA Elite Professional.
“We were impressed by Dave’s experience in building strong programs and his commitment to student-athlete development,” Kelly said. “His ability to recruit, develop and lead successful teams at multiple levels, along with his focus on building a positive and competitive culture, made him the right fit to lead our women’s tennis program forward. We are excited to welcome Dave to Drexel and look forward to the impact he will have on our student-athletes and the continued growth of the program.”
At Baylor, Watts played a key role in the development of a program that advanced to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 and achieved a national ranking of 37. He was instrumental in assembling a nationally ranked recruiting class and contributing to all aspects of program operations, including practice planning, scouting and match preparation.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lead Drexel Women’s Tennis and step into a program with so much potential. I want to sincerely thank Maisha Kelly and Greg Cusick for their belief in me and for welcoming me into the Drexel community. Throughout this process, I was drawn to Drexel’s commitment to student-athlete growth and competitive excellence. I’m excited to build strong relationships with our players, develop a culture centered on daily improvement and create a team that competes with confidence and purpose every time we take the court in pursuit of a CAA Championship.”
Prior to his time at Baylor, Watts served as the Head Men's and Women's Tennis Coach at Our Lady of the Lake University from 2022 to 2025. During his tenure, he elevated the women’s program to 14th in the nation, while coaching the NAIA ITA No. 1 singles player and multiple All-Americans. On the men’s side, Watts guided the program to third in the nation and a conference finals appearance. His teams captured both the men’s and women’s conference championships in 2025, and he earned Women’s Coach of the Year honors.
Watts initially joined Our Lady of the Lake as an assistant coach, where he was involved in practice planning, scouting, video analysis and travel coordination. Alongside his collegiate coaching experience, he also served as the Head Tennis Professional at Blossom Athletic Center, where he oversaw a large coaching staff, expanded junior programming and developed a Little Mo national champion.
Watts earned his Bachelor of Arts in kinesiology from Our Lady of the Lake University and is a USPTA Elite Professional.
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