Hometown: DeWitt, Iowa
Alma Mater: Loras College
Josh Watts was officially named Head Wrestling Coach at Concordia University on July 17, 2024. Watts became the 13th head coach in the history of the program.
Prior to taking on the role at Concordia, Watts spent 13 years at the helm of Iowa Western men’s wrestling, a powerhouse program within the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). He also oversaw the women’s wrestling program that was inaugurated in 2021. During his tenure leading the Reivers, Watts coached eight men’s national champions, two women’s invitational national champions, one women’s JCNC national champion, 123 national qualifiers and 69 combined men’s and women’s All-Americans.
Recognized nationally for his coaching prowess, Watts was tabbed the NJCAA National Coach of the Year in 2020 and the NJCAA Wrestling Coaches Association Man of the Year in 2022. He was also twice honored as the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) Coach of the Year in both 2020 and 2023. Watts led the Rievers men’s wrestling program to national tournament top 10 placements 10-straight years from 2015 through 2024. Both his 2020 and 2023 squads placed third in the NJCAA. The ’20 team also finished as the runner up at the NJCAA National Duals.
Watts’ collegiate coaching experience also includes stints as the head coach at NJCAA Darton College of Albany, Ga., from 2007-2011 and as assistant coach at NCAA Division III Loras College of Dubuque, Iowa, from 2005-2007. Watts’ 2010 Darton team placed 10th at the NJCAA National Championships. In sum, Watts arrives at Concordia with 17 years of head coaching experience.
Prior to his coaching career, Watts starred on the mat at both the high school and collegiate levels. He completed his prep career at Davenport Assumption as the winningest wrestler in Iowa high school history (upon graduation) with a 190-4 overall record. Watts won three state championships and was named a high school national All-American while regarded as one of the top 25 recruits in the country. Watts is an Iowa High School Athletic Association Hall of Famer. As a collegiate competitor, Watts wrestled for two years at NCAA Division I University of Northern Iowa before wrestling for two seasons at Loras College. Watts earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Physical Education from Loras.
Josh and his wife Cari have four children: Aidan, Jaxson, Karver and Maverick. Josh is a native of DeWitt, Iowa.
Hometown: Miamia, Fla.
Alma Mater: Oregon State University
A former national champion wrestler under Coach Josh Watts, Isaiah Crosby joined the Concordia Wrestling staff in July 2024 after having previously been named Associate Head Wrestling Coach at Iowa Western. Crosby entered the coaching ranks following a successful collegiate career.
A native of Miami, Fla., Crosby emerged as a two-time NJCAA national champion while wrestling at 157 and 165 pounds. Crosby then transferred to NCAA Division I Oregon State University and competed in Corvallis for three seasons (2021-24) for Head Coach Chris Pendleton. Crosby placed third at the Pac 12 Championships in 2023 and was part of a conference championship team that season.
As a prep wrestler, Crosby won back-to-back state championships at South Dade High School in Florida. He posted a record of 31-1 as a high school senior.
Isaiah is the son of Mary and Alfanzo Crosby and has nine siblings. Isaiah earned a bachelor's degree from Oregon State in Human Development and Family Sciences. He also acquired an associate degree from Iowa Western.