John Newell

Coaching Highlights
1– NCAA team championship at Arkansas
1– SEC record holder at Arkansas
1– SEC freshman record holder at Vanderbilt
1– SEC Co-Freshman Field Athlete of the Year at Vanderbilt
2– SEC bronze medalists at Vanderbilt
2– SEC team championships at Arkansas
3– Olympians (2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo)
5– Top-3 team finishes at NCAA Championships at Arkansas and Tennessee
11– SEC champions at Arkansas and Tennessee
39– First-team All-America selections
2011– USTFCCCA Regional Women’s Assistant Coach of the Year – Great Lakes 

John Newell was hired as an assistant throws coach in August of 2023. He has made two stops in the SEC and brings over 16 years of coaching experience to this Commodore team.

Achievements at Vanderbilt – Assistant Coach (2023-present) 
Newell guided 2024 SEC Co-Freshman Field Athlete of the Year Giavonna Meeks to first-team All-America honors and a sixth-place finish in the weight throw at the NCAA Indoor Championships, the highest finish in the event by a freshman in 21 years.

At the 2024 SEC Indoor Championships, athletes Newell coached scored 14 of the team’s 25 points. Meeks was the bronze medalist in the weight throw, recording a 23.04-meter mark, the No. 2 throw by a freshman in collegiate history. In the shot put, Sarah Omoregie placed third with a season best 17.11-meter throw. At every meet this season, Omoregie improved her shot put mark.

With Newell’s coaching, Veronica Fraley was the top collegiate finisher at two meets and scored at the SEC Indoor Championships. Her 17.21-meter mark ranked 15th in the NCAA at the end of conference championship weekend.

Prior to Vanderbilt
Two athletes Newell coached competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics, Travis Bailey, representing the United States in the discus, and Steven Mozia, competing for Nigeria in the shot put. Stamatia Scarvelis, also coached by Newell, competed in the hammer throw at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for Team Greece.

At Arkansas – Volunteer Assistant Coach (2022-23)
During the 2022–23 season, he served as a volunteer assistant coach at Arkansas, where he coached men’s throws student-athletes. With Newell’s assistance, the Razorback men won the 2023 NCAA indoor team title and were runners-up to the outdoor team crown. That season, Rojé Stona, coached by Newell, recorded the No. 2 all-time mark in NCAA discus history, 68.64 meters, and earned a silver medal at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Stona and Ralford Mullings, also tutored by Newell, finished first and second, respectively, in the discus at the SEC Outdoor Championships. Stona also won a bronze medal in the shot put at the SEC Indoor Championships that year.

At Tennessee – Assistant Coach (2013-22)
For nine years, Newell was an assistant coach for the Volunteers, coaching one gold and two bronze medalists at the 2022 SEC Outdoor Championships and two silver medalists at that year’s SEC Indoor Championships. On a national level, he guided three first-team All-Americans, who totaled 14 points at the 2022 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships. As a team, Tennessee finished third at both championship meets.

Coached by Newell, 2021 SEC shot put champion Latavia Maines set a meet record in the event, throwing 18.71 meters. The Volunteers swept the SEC indoor shot put titles in 2020 under Newell’s guidance. Maines took the women’s title, while Joseph Maxwell placed first on the men’s side.

At Michigan State – Assistant (2007-13)
Newell began his coaching career as an assistant at Michigan State (2007–13). There, he tutored Beth Rohl, a walk on who eventually became a five-time Big Ten champion and two-time medalist between the indoor and outdoor NCAA Championships in 2013.

Personal
In 2005, Newell graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. He also received an Associate of Arts degree from Sacramento City College in 2002. As a student-athlete, he was a six-time qualifier for the NCAA Championships and was an All- America selection in the indoor shot put in 2005.

Coaching Experience
• Assistant Coach, Vanderbilt (2023–present)
• Volunteer Assistant Coach, Arkansas (2022–23)
• Assistant Coach, Tennessee (2013–22)
• Assistant, Michigan State (2007–13)