Green Hope High School has hired former NC State player and assistant coach Levi Watkins as the Falcons’ next boys basketball coach, the school announced on Friday.
Watkins comes to Green Hope after spending the 2025-2026 season as the head coach at St. David’s School, a private school in Raleigh. The Warriors finished 16-13 in Watkins’ first season as a high school head coach. It was St. David’s first winning season in eight years.
Watkins takes over a Green Hope program that finished 8-16 overall and 1-11 in the Quad City Seven 8A Conference under another former NC State player, Richard Howell.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Coach Watkins to lead our program,” Green Hope athletic director Robbie St. John said. “Securing a leader of his caliber is a massive win for us, and we are incredibly fortunate to have him on board. I have complete confidence in his vision and ability to elevate our basketball program to new heights. Green Hope’s basketball future starts now.”
Watkins brings more than two decades of college basketball experience as a player and coach to the Falcons.
A Rockville, Md., native, Watkins played at NC State from 2001 through 2005. He appeared in 97 games during his NC State career, including 20 starts. He was also one of only 10 players in program history to participate in four consecutive NCAA tournaments.
Watkins began working on the NC State staff following his playing career. From 2005 through 2013, he served in several roles, including administrative coordinator, video coordinator, and director of basketball operations.
He received his first on-court college coaching opportunity at Buffalo in 2013. During his two seasons as an assistant coach with the Bulls, Buffalo went 42-20 and earned the first Mid-American Conference championship and NCAA tournament appearance in program history.
Watkins also spent time as an assistant coach at Ole Mills and at Arizona State, where the Sun Devils were ranked as high as No. 3 in the AP Poll.
During his second stint with the Wolfpack, Watkins helped the program reach two NCAA tournaments in three seasons. That stretch was highlighted by NC State’s historic run to an ACC Tournament title and Final Four appearance in 2024. It was NC State’s first appearance in the Final Four since 1983.
Throughout his college coaching career, Watkins worked extensively in recruiting, player development, scouting, and game preparation.
Before arriving at NC State, Watkins was a Parade All-American at Montrose Christian School in Maryland. He was also named the 2001 Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year and USA Today’s Maryland Player of the Year.
