When Devan Newman stepped onto the University of Arizona campus this spring, she carried more than a résumé; she carried a lineage.
Her father, Don 'Duck' Newman, built a reputation as a college and NBA coach, spending a season steering Arizona State’s men’s team in the late 1990s.
Newman's coaching path began under her father's tutelage and later expanded through mentorships with Bethann Shapiro Ord, whom she served for 13 years at Weber State and Binghamton, and Becky Burke, a longtime collaborator whose defensive philosophy she now shares.
A Shared Defensive Vision
At Arizona, Newman has joined Burke's staff, aligning their approach around disciplined defense and a shared background under Jeff Walz, the architect of several championship teams.
The partnership also taps into Newman's 13 years of Western U.S. experience, particularly in Utah, where she cultivated recruiting relationships that could enrich Arizona's talent pool.
Beyond tactics, Newman emphasizes family bonds and loyalty, values she says are rooted in the same principles that guided her father's career and continue to shape her leadership.