Don Newman, one of the last week's inductees into the Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame, passed away on Tuesday night after a battle with cancer. He was 60.
The New Orleans native played two seasons with the Vandals, helping jump start the Don Monson era. He twice earned All-Big Sky honors, and was named the Big Sky Player of the Year in 1980. His 281 career assists still rank sixth all-time.
Following his time in Moscow, Newman was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 69th pick in the 1980 NBA Draft. He would go on to play three seasons with the Montana Golden Nuggets under George Karl in the Continental Basketball Association, and even played six years as a wide receiver in the Canadian Football League despite not playing football in college.