University of North Alabama head coach Anna Nimz announced P'hariz Watkins to her coaching staff on May 6, 2026.
Watkins brings five successful seasons of coaching experience to the Shoals, including his most recent stop as the Assistant Coach and Director of Player Development at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Okla. While there, he helped develop five all-conference players.
On the international level, Watkins has worked with Team USA Basketball since 2022. He has served on staff at the youth, junior and U17 levels with Team USA with the highlight coming at the 2024 national team training camp in Las Vegas, Nev.
"Coach P is a great addition to our family," said Nimz at the time of hire. "He brings great energy and passion for our program and players. He will continue to drive the standard in all areas of his position."
Originally from Dayton, Ohio, Watkins played college basketball at Heidelberg University in Ohio and Adrian College in Michigan. He appeared in 86 total games with 1,401 minutes player, 573 points, 220 rebounds and 129 assists.
Watkins began his coaching career in 2020 as a student assistant at Heidelburg, a perrenial contender at the NCAA Division III level. He also worked two HBCU All-Star Weekends in New Orleans and Houston, interning for the first one then serving as Assistant Director of Basketball Operations for the one in Texas.
After a few seasons coaching and working in the AAU and TBT circuits, he landed a major role at the University of Tennessee as a graduate assistant for the 2023-24 season. He spent two seasons in Knoxville, including the FellowVol Post-Graduate Fellowship in 2022-23.
Watkins also has a connection to Duke, as he worked as a Player Development and Camp Coach for the 2023 Jon Scheyer Duke Basketball Camp.
Watkins graduated from Heidelberg in May 2021 with a double major in Communications and Sport Management while minoring in Media Technology. He went on to earn a Master's degree in Sport Management from Adrian in December 2022 before receiving his second Master's degree in Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication at Tennessee on May 2024.
"I'm incredibly honored and grateful for the opportunity to join the women's basketball staff at the University of North Alabama," said Watkins at the time of hire. "The chance to be reunited with Coach Nimz makes this even more meaningful. She's an elite leader who sets the standard and truly invests in her players and staff. I'm thankful for her trust and excited to get to work, build genuine relationships and help create something special here at UNA that the community can be proud of."
Â
