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Newman hired as an assistant coach

The New Jersey Nets have named Don Newman as an assistant coach, Nets President/General Manager Rod Thorn announced today. As per club policy, terms of the contract were not announced.

“ We are pleased to add Don to our coaching staff” said Thorn. “ He has a thorough coaching background at both the professional and collegiate level which will complement Coach Scott and his staff.”

Don recently completed his fourth year as an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks coaching position was his first in the NBA, following an extensive collegiate coaching career. Don was an assistant coach at Washington State from 1987-92, the head coach at Sacramento State University from 1992-97, the interim head coach at Arizona State for the 1997-98 season, and then an assistant coach at the University of Oregon for the 1998-99 campaign before joining the Bucks in 1999.

Although he never played in the NBA, Don did enjoy a brief NFL career, playing for the Seattle Seahawks and the New York Jets as well as in the Canadian Football League. Once his playing days had concluded, Don earned a B.A. in physical education from Idaho in 1987 while serving as an assistant prep football and basketball coach. A year later, he became a graduate assistant at nearby Washington State and earned an M.S. in education.