COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Newman steps down as UTPB men’s coach

Andy Newman has stepped down as the men’s basketball coach at UTPB, the school reported Wednesday.

Newman, who coached for 10 seasons at Cal State Fullerton as an assistant coach, associate head coach and interim head coach before moving to the Permian Basin in 2013, resigned to accept the head coaching position at California State University-San Bernardino.

The Falcons compiled a 101-50 record during Newman’s five seasons at the helm of the program and made the transition from the Heartland Conference to the Lone Star Conference two seasons ago.

“This is the hardest decision I’ve had to make in my professional career,” Newman said in a statement released by the school.

“There are so many great memories, between the run we made this year in the NCAA Tournament and making the Sweet 16 (and) last year winning the Lone Star Conference. But my favorite memory I’ll take away is our banquet from this past year, seeing all the faces of the people that have come behind the program, our players, my family and watching the support of this community grow to the level it has.”

Under Newman’s guidance, the Falcons put together the two most successful seasons in program history the past two years.

In 2016-17, UTPB finished 26-6 overall and 14-4 to win the Lone State Conference’s regular-season championship, then went on to win the conference tournament and earn the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance. Newman also was named the conference’s Coach of the Year.

Following up in 2017-18, the Falcons again finished 26-6, 14-4, advancing to the championship game of the South Central Regional.

“We’d like to thank Andy for the incredible job he’s done at UT Permian Basin,” said UTPB Director of Athletics Scott Farmer. “He came in five years ago and turned a struggling program into one of the most exciting in the nation and had them competing on a national level.”