John Newell Position: Assistant Coach - Throws Experience: First Year

John Newell is entering his first season as assistant coach (throws) for the track and field program.

He arrives in East Lansing from Ashland University in Ohio, where he spent last year serving as a volunteer assistant coach for the Eagles. While at Ashland, he coached the hammer, shot and discus for his collegiate throwers, as well as coaching at winter and summer all-star clinics. From 2002 to 2004, Newell worked with throwers at the University of Georgia's seasonal track and field camps.

Newell is a record holder in hammer, shot and weight events at Sacramento City College, where he earned an Associates Degree in 2002. He then moved on to Georgia, where he served as a Bulldogs' team captain and became an All-American in the hammer, shot put and discus. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from the university in 2005. Newell is also an ISSA certified personal trainer and spent the summer of 2006 training in throwing events with Hungary's national hammer coaches.

"John brings the benefit of having been coached and mentored by two of the country's best throwing coaches," stated Director of Track and Field Walt Drenth. "He became an elite athlete with an incredible work ethic and constant pursuit of technical knowledge. His athletic experience gives him a true understanding of the developmental process throwers must go through in order to be great. The throwers he has had an opportunity to work with have improved and grown tremendously."