Former Wyandotte High School and University of Oklahoma star Kelley Newton is the new men’s basketball coach at Kansas City Kansas Community College.
The women’s basketball coach at Neosho County Community College the last three seasons, Newton will begin his new duties immediately. Newton is also the owner and head coach of the Kansas Lady Nuggets, a women’s semipro team playing in the WBCBL.
“With his background in this area, we feel Kelley will be very effective as a recruiter,” said Blue Devil Athletic Director Tony Tompkins. “He’s a very good communicator who I believe will provide the coaching skills and the discipline needed to build a very successful program.”
“This is a great opportunity for a lot of different reasons,” says Newton, 35. “Having been raised in KCK, it’s a chance to get back to the community I love. I feel and a lot of people feel this is a place ready to experience major success and I would like to give back to the community in a way I haven’t been able to in the past. Growing up in Kansas City, I think KCKCC now has the name recognition it has not had in the past. Not only do you hear about the college, you drive around and see its presence with the new athletic facilities and the new Technical Education Centers.”
In his three seasons at Neosho County, his players maintained a combined grade point average 3.00 and 12 of 15 players earned scholarships at four-year colleges. In addition, he turned a fund-raising debt into a positive balance.
