July 27, 2006

RENO, Nev. - Nevada assistant coach Josh Newman has accepted a position as the head men's basketball coach at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, the school announced Thursday in a press conference at 5:30 p.m. Pacific Time.

Newman will take over the Arkansas-Fort Smith program, which won the National Junior College Athletics Association national championship in 2006. He returns to the school after spending the 1998-99 season there as an assistant coach to Doc Sadler.

"Josh has done an outstanding job as an assistant coach here at Nevada. We are extremely happy for him and know that he will do a fantastic job for the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith program," said said Wolf Pack head coach Mark Fox, who is unavailable for further comment due to recruiting travel.

Newman spent three seasons at the University of Nevada, helping the Wolf Pack to Western Athletic Conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances in each of those three years. Nevada turned in a 77-22 record during his three seasons at Nevada. He has been a part of five consecutive teams that have reached a national postseason tournament, including two with South Plains College and the last three with Nevada.

Prior to joining the Wolf Pack coaching staff, Newman spent two seasons as an assistant coach at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas. He helped guide South Plains to back-to-back Western Junior College Athletic Conference and Region V championships. The Texans also made back-to-back trips to the National Junior College Tournament and were ranked in the top 10 both years. During Newman's two seasons with the program, South Plains sent 10 players, including former Wolf Pack forward Jermaine Washington, to Division I programs.

Newman was an assistant at McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas, from 1999-2001 and at Westark Community College (now the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith) in 1998-99. During his five years at the junior college level, Newman coached and recruited 35 players who moved on to play Division I basketball.

Newman graduated from Arizona State University in 1998 with a bachelor's degree in history. A native of Chino Valley, Ariz., he received his master's degree in sports studies from Texas A&M-Commerce in 2003.