The 2022 season marks the second for Mike Newton as an assistant with the Colonials, including his first serving as special teams coordinator while tutoring the wide receivers.
Newton joined the RMU coaching staff after spending two years at Clarion, first overseeing the special teams unit in 2019 before being named offensive coordinator in 2020. During both seasons with the Golden Eagles, Newton was also the program's recruiting coordinator. Newton was instrumental at Clarion in the development of wide receivers Quinn Zinobile and Khaliq Muhammad.
Prior to his appointment at Clarion, Newton spent three seasons at Seton Hill from 2016-2018. During that span the Griffins had one of the most prolific passing games in NCAA Division II, ranking in the top 25 in passing yards each of his three years as wide receivers coach and special teams coordinator. In 2016, Seton Hill led NCAA Division II in both passing yards (4,106) and passing yards per game (370.2). During Newton's time with the Griffins, wide receiver Ardell Brown established the program's career records for receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches en route to being a two-time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West First Team selection as well as being named to the 2018 Don Hansen Football Gazette All-America Third Team.
Before joining the coaching staff at Seton Hill, Newton spent the 2015 campaign as the offensive coordinator for the Munich Cowboys of the German Football League. One of the oldest American football teams in Germany, the Cowboys ranked near the top of the league in a number of statistical categories, including passing yards per game and total offense.
Prior to heading overseas to Munich, Newton served five seasons at Juniata from 2010-14, including the last two as offensive coordinator. The Eagles established program marks for offensive production in back-to-back seasons while having eight student-athletes earn all-conference honors. Former Juniata quarterback Ward Udinski (2011-14) established program records under Newton's tutelage for completions (734), passing yards (8,616) and total offense (10,756). Udinski was named the 2014 Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Year and earned a spot on the 2014 USA College Football Division III All-America Third Team.
As a student-athlete, Newton began his playing career at Newberry College (2004-05) before transferring to the University of South Carolina for his final two seasons. He lettered as a defensive back with the Gamecocks in both 2007 and 2008. In 2009, Newton graduated from South Carolina with a Bachelor of Science degree in sport and entertainment management.
