Perry Watson takes leave of absence from Detroit men's basketball team

Jan. 7, 2008

Detroit, Mich. - University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball head coach Perry Watson announced today he is taking an indefinite leave of absence from his post for medical reasons. Associate head coach Kevin Mondro will serve as the interim head coach in Watson's absence, effective immediately.

Mondro will assume all on-court responsibilities in games and daily practice sessions. Watson will continue to remain involved with the basketball program in an administrative role while also monitoring the Titan players' academic progress during his absence. Coach Watson will make no public comment at this time and asks that his privacy be respected.

Current assistant coaches Carlos Briggs and Garland Mance will continue in their roles with the team.

In his 15th season at UDM, Watson has a 258-185 career record. He is the second-winningest head coach in Titan history behind only Bob Calihan. He has guided two teams to the NCAA Tournament (1998 and 1999) and two more to the NIT (2001 and 2002).

The Titans are next in action on Thursday evening when Cleveland State visits Calihan Hall (7:05 p.m. Central time / 8:05 Eastern).

Story provided by Detroit Office of Sports Information