WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – Donovan Newby is returning to UNCW men’s basketball, this time as the program’s director of player personnel, head coach Takayo Siddle announced Wednesday.
Newby spent three seasons as a guard with the Seahawks from 2022 to 2025 before joining the staff. He was named the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament Most Outstanding Player in 2025 after helping UNCW win the program’s seventh CAA Tournament Championship, according to UNCW.
In his new position, university officials said Newby will work with the coaching staff on player development, scouting, talent evaluation and recruiting.
“Having experienced the same challenges and helped capture a CAA Championship, he brings instant credibility with our players,” Siddle said in the university’s release. “His character, leadership, and firsthand experience will make him an invaluable addition to our program.”
Newby played two seasons at UW-Milwaukee before transferring to UNCW. He scored 1,005 points in three seasons with the Seahawks and started all 35 games in 2024-25, averaging 14.4 points per game.
He earned All-CAA and All-Region honors in his final season. Newby scored a career-high 33 points against Georgia Southern on Nov. 8, 2024, and tied a program record with eight three-pointers made in a road game at Hofstra on Jan. 11, 2025.
Newby averaged 16.6 points per game in the 2025 CAA Tournament. He scored 17 points in the championship win over Delaware, including four free throws in the final 13 seconds of a 76-72 victory that sent UNCW to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in eight years.
Newby shot 18-of-18 from the free throw line in the tournament and did not miss a free throw in the final six games of his career.
“Coming back gives me the opportunity to pour that same energy, guidance, and belief into the next generation of players,” Newby said in the release.
Newby joins assistant coach Craig Ponder as a UNCW men’s basketball alum on the current staff.
Copyright 2026 WECT. All rights reserved.