The University of Idaho and women’s basketball coach Jon Newlee have mutually agreed to part ways, Athletic Director Terry Gawlik announced Thursday.
“I want to thank Jon for his service to our women’s basketball program over the last 15 years,” said Gawlik. “Jon led Vandal women’s basketball to new heights, and we all appreciate the time and effort he gave to our student-athletes and our university.”
“I would like to thank the University of Idaho and its leadership for the amazing opportunity to coach the women’s basketball team for these past 15 years,” said Newlee. “I would also like to thank the student-athletes who have played for me at Idaho. They are the reason why I love this profession. I leave the University of Idaho with fond memories and wish the women’s basketball program the very best and continued success.”
Newlee has been Idaho’s head coach since 2008 and finishes as the program’s all-time leader in wins with a 257-213 (.547) overall record, including a 167-96 (.635) record in conference games. He was named Big Sky Coach of the Year in 2019, as well as WAC Coach of the Year in 2009 and 2014. During his tenure, the Vandals won two regular season championships, one in the WAC and one in the Big Sky as well as three tournament championships with two in the WAC and one in the Big Sky. In all, the Vandals earned three trips to the NCAA tournament, back-to-back WNIT appearances, and two WBI appearances.
Off the court, Newlee’s teams excelled in the classroom, most recently posting a 3.66 team-wide GPA in the Fall of 2022. He coached over 76 All-Academic honorees, three CoSIDA Academic All-District selections, and two CoSIDA Academic All-Americans. His 2017-18 squad was sixth in the WBCA Academic Top-25.
“Our history of success in women’s basketball, the beautiful new ICCU Arena, and the investments we’ve made to position Idaho as a consistent championship contender make this a very attractive job,” said Gawlik. “We look forward to finding the next leader to not only contend for Big Sky Championships but also develop and grow the young women in our program.”
