USD men’s basketball head coach JR Blount announced the addition of Jawaun Newton to the staff as director of player development on April 13, 2026.
“We’re excited to introduce Jawaun Newton to our program,” said Blount. “He will be integral to the development of our roster both on and off the court, bringing a commitment to helping our student-athletes grow in every aspect of their game and character. Jawaun is known for building genuine, lasting relationships and for his relentless consistency in his approach. His dedication to daily improvement and his passion for player development will have a lasting impact on our program.”
Newton arrives in San Diego after two seasons on T.J. Otzelberger's staff at Iowa State, where he served as a graduate assistant, alongside Blount. In his first season with the Cyclones (2024-25), Iowa State finished 25-10 overall and 13-7 in the Big 12, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Cyclones climbed as high as No. 2 in the AP Poll — the highest ranking in program history — and finished the season ranked No. 17.
In his second season (2025-26), Iowa State opened with a 16-0 start, highlighted by victories over No. 1 Purdue, No. 2 Houston, No. 9 Kansas and No. 14 St. John's. The Cyclones earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16, finishing the season ranked No. 8 in the AP Poll.
The El Paso, Texas native brings firsthand experience as a high-level college player. He played four years at Evansville (2018-22) before using his COVID year of eligibility as a graduate transfer at Southern Illinois (2022-23). He helped the Salukis to a 23-10 record and a spot in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament semifinals.
During his four-year career with the Evansville, Newton appeared in 103 games with 65 starts, averaging 8.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. He averaged 13.5 points per game as a junior and 12.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a senior. Newton scored a career-high 30 points in a triple-overtime loss to Rice and was part of a historic moment in November 2019 when Evansville knocked off No. 1 Kentucky 67-64 — the first win over a top-ranked team in program history.
Newton’s younger brother, Tristen, won back-to-back national championships at UConn and was selected in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers. He is also cousins with Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones and former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Alvin Jones.
