Peter Watson is in his fourth season at Auburn, where he serves as head cross country coach and an assistant coach with the track and field team.
Watson guided Auburn[apos]s cross country teams to their finest seasons perhaps ever in 2008, as the men[apos]s team finished fifth in the nation with three All-Americans, while the women[apos]s team also had an All-American. Junior Felix Kiboiywo repeated as South Region individual champion and was joined by junior Elkanah Kibet and freshman Girma Mecheso as All-Americans, while Mecheso won the SEC individual title and was the SEC Freshman of the Year. Holly Knight also earned All-American honors at the women[apos]s NCAA Championships.
Watson[apos]s distance runners are also making an impact on the track team. During his time on the Plains he has coached track athletes to three school records, five freshmen school records, four SEC titles, four All-American honors and eight NCAA qualifiers while coaching nine different athletes to 18 Auburn all-time top 10 marks.
During the 2008 track season, Knight earned All-American honors in the 5000m as a freshman with an eighth-place finish at the NCAA outdoor meet, while Kiboiywo won the SEC title in the 1500m and reached the finals of the 5000m at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
In his first year on the Plains Watson guided Angela Homan to her third consecutive Southeastern Conference Championship in cross country in a career-best time of 19:40.00, and the SEC Athlete of the Year honor. In addition, Homan earned her third All-American honor.
On the track he guided Homan to All-American honors indoors at 5000m and outdoors at 10,000m, the Auburn outdoor school records at 5000m and 10,000m, a victory at the Penn Relays in the 5000m and SEC outdoor titles at 5000m and 10,000m.
Watson also coached Andrew Heath to the Auburn school record at 10,000m and the second-fastest indoor 5000m time, which also was an NCAA provisional qualifying mark. Heath also regionally qualified in the 3000m steeplechase under Watson[apos]s guidance.
Watson has also brought on board many top-level recruits from around the world, including athletes from Kenya, Germany and England. One of his top recruits, Kibioywo of Kenya, quickly put his name in the Auburn history books by recording freshman school records in the indoor mile and outdoors at 800m. Kibiowyo ran an NCAA qualifying time in the mile indoors and also finished third at the SEC Championships. During the outdoor season, Watson led Kibioywo to NCAA regional qualifying times in the 800m and 1500m and runner-up honors in the Olympic development mile at the Penn Relays.
As well as coaching and recruiting for the Tigers, Watson also serves as the meet director of the Auburn Cross Country Invite, held every year at Indian Pines Golf Course. This meet attracts over 30 teams from around the country and is regarded as one of the premier cross country meets in the South.
A 2001 graduate of West Virginia University with a bachelor[apos]s degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences, Watson was a four-year letterman on both the Mountaineer[apos]s track and cross country teams.
A native of London, Ontario, Canada, Watson was a member of the 2000 and 2001 Canadian National Track and Field Team. Watson was a bronze medalist in the 5,000m at the 2001 Canadian Track and Field Championships.
Following his collegiate career, Watson spent time training in Kenya and Boulder, Colo..
Watson is married to the former Kristin Schreiber. The couple resides in Auburn.