Perkins Hires Ohio State Training Director As New Athletic Director

Perkins Local Schools has hired the director of athletic training at Ohio State University as its next Athletic Director.

On Wednesday, July 12, the Perkins Board of Education voted 4-0 to hire Bradley Watson as Athletic Director. Mr. Watson, a 2007 Bellevue High School graduate, will succeed Ted Sturzinger Jr., who resigned earlier this summer to take an administrative position at Vanguard Sentinel Career Center in Fremont. 

“I’m very excited with this opportunity,” Mr. Watson told the Board. “I’m very excited to come back to the area and be a part of the Pirate family.”

Mr. Watson will take over an athletics program that won 10 SBC titles during the 2022-2023 school year.

“We’re in a pretty good place with athletics right now,” said Perkins High School Principal Jeff Harbal. He said that some 30 people applied for the position, and Mr. Watson's experience and high level of integrity pushed him to the top of the list. 

Mr. Watson has been in management positions and demonstrated an ability to make tough decisions, Mr. Harbal said. 

At Ohio State, Mr. Watson has provided medical care and coverage for the men's and women's basketball and golf teams, and has supervised athletic trainers with the ice hockey, golf, basketball, and cheer teams. He has been at Ohio State since 2019. 

Previously, he was an assistant director for Sports Medicine and associate head athletic trainer at Eastern Michigan University from 2018 to 2019.

Mr. Watson graduated with a bachelor's degree in athletic training from Eastern Michigan University in 2011 and a master’s degree in sports management from Ohio State in 2013.