ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – Lewis Women's Basketball Head Coach
Keisha Newell announced her resignation from her position as head coach. Newell has accepted the same role at Oakland University, a NCAA Division I school in the Horizon League conference located in Rochester, Michigan.
Lewis will begin a national search for its next head women's basketball coach.
"We are deeply grateful for the outstanding success Keisha consistently demonstrated during her time at Lewis University," Assistant Vice President for Athletics
John Ashaolu said. "Her leadership and dedication not only elevated her teams on the court but also made a lasting impact in the classroom and within the community. It has been a true pleasure working with Keisha, and we are excited to see the continued success she will bring to the women's basketball program at Oakland University. We extend our best wishes to Keisha, Anthony and the entire Newell family as they begin this exciting new chapter in their lives."
Newell led the Flyers for the past three seasons, guiding the program to a 70-24 (.744) record, making three consecutive NCAA Division II Tournament appearances as well as two Great Lakes Valley Conference regular season titles in a row and a GLVC Tournament title. Most recently, the Flyers recorded a 26-4 record in the 2024-25 campaign, qualified for the NCAA Division II Tournament and had a No. 14 ranking in the Top 25 WBCA NCAA Division II Coaches Poll.
"I want to express my deepest gratitude to Lewis University for an incredible journey. Thank you to President Dr. David Livingston and Provost Dr. Christopher Sindt for entrusting me with the women's basketball program, and to Assistant Vice President for Athletics,
John Ashaolu, for his unwavering support throughout my time here," Newell said. "From the staff and faculty to the students, I couldn't be more grateful for this institution. Most importantly, I want to thank every student-athlete I had the privilege to coach. The relationships we built will last a lifetime. Lewis will always hold a special place in my heart and I look forward to following the continued success of this program."
During the 2023-2024 season, the Flyers achieved 19 GLVC wins, which was a program record. That win total was matched in 2024-2025 when Lewis went 19-1 in league play.
Newell coached 13 All-GLVC selections during her tenure at Lewis, including 2024-2025 GLVC Women's Basketball Player of the Year
Taylor Gugliuzza (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way West). Gugliuzza was also named NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-American Honorable Mention.
Newell received the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Collegiate Women's Basketball Coach of the Year for two consecutive seasons.
"The Lewis University women's basketball program has long been a nationally recognized powerhouse, and our continued success has paved the way for our last four coaches to advance to head coaching roles at the Division I level," Ashaolu said. "We remain fully committed to upholding this legacy of excellence, both on and off the court. As we move forward with a national search, we are confident we will find a coach who will uphold our championship-level expectations and further build on the solid foundation already in place."
Qualified and interested candidates should apply here: https://jobs.lewisu.edu/postings/11380
Review of applications will start immediately.
