Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Fort Dale Academy has named Marshall Watts as its new head football coach and athletic director. A Fort Dale graduate and 20-year educator and coach, Watts has spent the last 13 years building the athletic program at his alma mater, assuming the position vacated by Eric Folmar.

“I feel incredibly honored to step into this role, especially following the leadership of Coach Folmar and Coach Speed,” Watts said. “They’ve each done an outstanding job of laying a strong foundation for both the football program and the athletic department as a whole. When Coach Folmar announced he was pursuing a new opportunity, I knew right away that I wanted to be the one to continue what he started and help guide our athletes into the next chapter. This program means a lot to me and I’m excited to build on the legacy that’s already in place.”

Watts, a native of Greenville and a 2000 graduate of Fort Dale, began his coaching career at Cottonwood High School as an assistant football coach, head basketball coach and assistant baseball coach. He returned to Fort Dale after seven years at Cottonwood. An accomplished all-around athlete during his student days, Watts played quarterback and safety in football, forward and guard in basketball and pitcher and shortstop in baseball. 

Since his return to Fort Dale, he has coached football, basketball and baseball at both the junior varsity and varsity levels.

Folmar announced in March he would not continue leading Fort Dale’s athletic program and praised the school’s decision to appoint Marshall to the position.

“I don’t think that Fort Dale could’ve found a better fit than Coach Watts,” Folmar said. “We’ve always been on the same page when it comes to the athletic program especially with things like structure and discipline.

“I think he’s going to be able to step right in and it’s going to be a really smooth transition. The students already know him and respect him. He already has that relationship built so it’s not like he has to come in and get familiar with a brand new program and get to know all of the students.”

Watts, who has two children attending Fort Dale — Joseph, a seventh-grader who plays football, basketball and baseball, and Stella, a sixth-grader and JV cheer squad member — said the transition into his new role has been going well.

“The transition has been fairly smooth so far,” Watts said. “The help and guidance from Coach Folmar has been above and beyond. Of course some things will change but the foundation that has been laid is very solid and we hope to keep building on it.”

Watts is expected to officially assume his new duties at the conclusion of the 2024-25 school year.