Don Newman dies of cancer at 60

Don Newman died Tuesday (Sept. 11) of cancer at 60 years old, just days after his induction into the Vandal Athletic Hall of Fame.

Newman played on the Idaho men’s basketball team for two seasons. In his two years, he earned All-Big Sky honors twice and was named Big Sky Player of the Year in 1980. Newman still ranks on the Idaho all-time list, sitting in sixth with 281 career assists.

Newman extended his athletic career beyond Idaho after being drafted by the Boston Celtics as the 69th pick in the 1980 NBA Draft. He then played for the Montana Golden Nuggets for three seasons.

Despite spending his time in basketball, Newman played in the Canadian Football League as a wide receiver for six years.

The New Orleans native returned to the Palouse after the conclusion of his football career to coach at Lewiston and Moscow High School. He later transitioned to Washington State as an assistant.

Newman coached at Washington State, Sacramento State and Arizona State. He transitioned to the NBA in 1999 as an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks. After four seasons with the Bucks, he coached with the Nets before moving to the San Antonio Spurs.

Newman spent eight years with the Spurs, during which the team won two NBA Championships in 2005 and 2007. He relocated to the Washington Wizards staff in 2012, where he spent four years.

Meredith Spelbring can be reached at [email protected]