UCLA Basketball: All-Pac-10 First Team Bruin Eyes Coaching Job With Rival Program

Former All-Pac-10 First-Team UCLA Bruins guard Earl Watson, 44, is apparently nearing a deal to join the Blue and Gold's crosstown nemesis, the USC Trojans, as part of freshly-hired head coach Eric Musselman's staff, Scott Wolf of Inside USC reports.

The 6'1" guard enjoyed a 13-year pro career following his decorated run with the Bruins from 1997-2001. After being drafted by the then-Seattle SuperSonics in the second round of the 2001 draft, he enjoyed a well-traveled pro run. Watson also played for the Memphis Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets before returning to the SuperSonics (who then became the Oklahoma City Thunder in the middle of his second stint). He then played for the Indiana Pacers, Utah Jazz and finally the Portland Trail Blazers in 2013-14.

Watson was hired by the San Antonio Spurs' then-D League affiliate club, the Austin Spurs, for the 2014-15 season, before leveling up to an NBA assistant gig with the Phoenix Suns under head coach Jeff Hornacek, another ex-player. He was promoted to the head job midway through the 2015-16 season (becoming the first-ever UCLA alum to get an NBA head coaching opportunity), and stayed with the team until the start of the 2017-18 season. He worked as a Pac-12 Network and NBA TV commentator for a spell, before taking an assistant coaching job under Nick Nurse during the end of the latter's Toronto Raptors run from 2021-23.

During his All-Pac-10 senior season, he posted averages of 14.7 points on .493/.352/.636 shooting splits, 5.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.9 steals.