Olivia Watson completed her first season as an assistant coach for the Southern Utah women's soccer program in 2026. She was promoted to the position in the spring of 2026 after a season as a graduate assistant, and her time with the Thunderbirds began in 2024, when she came to Cedar City as a player for her fifth year.
Watson specializes in player development and scouting upcoming opponents, and she helps handle the team's travel operations.
The 2026 Season
Watson was part of Steven Lindquist's first staff as head coach as Southern Utah returned to the Big Sky Conference. The Thunderbirds went 5-10-3 overall and 2-5-2 in the Big Sky and scored 30 goals, the second-most in program history and more than twice their 2025 total. The defense improved just as sharply: SUU allowed 26 goals, 22 fewer than in 2025, and posted five shutouts, the most since 2022.
Among the highlights were back-to-back 1-0 road wins in August at South Carolina State and The Citadel, a program-record 18-0 win against Justice on Sept. 6, the program's first Big Sky win since returning to the league, 1-0 against Portland State on Oct. 4, and a 3-2 win at Eastern Washington on Oct. 22, SUU's first Big Sky road win since 2021.
Graduate Assistant
Watson joined the Southern Utah staff as a graduate assistant for the 2025 season, one year after finishing her playing career with the Thunderbirds.
Playing Career
A left-sided defender, Watson transferred to Southern Utah for her fifth year in 2024 after four years at the University of Toledo. She appeared in three matches for the Thunderbirds, logging 32 minutes against Utah Valley on Oct. 6 and putting a shot on goal against Grand Canyon on Oct. 11.
At Toledo, Watson appeared in three matches with two starts in 2022 and made her first collegiate start at Akron on Oct. 23, 2022. She was named to the Dean's List in 2022 and 2023.
Before college, Watson was a three-time national champion in club soccer. As a defender for Nationals Union, she won five Michigan State Cup titles (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019) and three regional championships, and her team reached the Development Academy national final in 2018. She was named Royal Oak High School's Most Valuable Player and earned all-county honors.
Education and Personal
Watson earned her bachelor's degree in communication with a minor in marketing and completed an MBA in marketing.
A native of Royal Oak, Mich., she is the daughter of Art and Peggy Watson and has two sisters, Kathleen and Megan.
