Mindy Lasater Newlee, a former Northwestern State graduate assistant returned last season to help the Lady Demons basketball program as an assistant coach.
Newlee worked alongside Graf, then the lead assistant coach, as a graduate assistant coach on the 2002-03 Lady Demon staff for James Smith. Coach Gary Blair, now at Texas A&M, got to know Newlee when he was coach at Arkansas and she was playing high school basketball. He had great admiration for her and recommended his old friend Smith give her a chance to coach at NSU’s highly-successful Division I program.
In just a year with the Lady Demons, she made a big impact with her energy, personality and approach to the game, so much so that she was offered a full-time position at Idaho State.
Newlee worked at Idaho State in 2004-06, and then returned to her alma mater of Arkansas Tech in 2006-2007 after relocating to her hometown. She helped the Golden Suns to a runner-up finish in the Gulf South Conference last season.
“Mindy brings us a lot of knowledge, not only about basketball, but also about the area,” said Graf. “She knows our program's tradition, she knows this community and our supporters, and she does a great job of spreading enthusiasm for NSU and Lady Demon basketball.”
Newlee is in charge of coaching the guards as well as having a big hand in recruiting and the everyday operation of the Lady Demon program.
Before returning to Arkansas Tech, where she was a standout player who helped the Golden Suns reach the Division II national championship game, Newlee was an assistant at Idaho State for three seasons. She helped recruit players who took Idaho State to the 2007 NCAA Tournament, coached two teams to postseason WNIT tournament appearances, and in her first season in 2004, she helped guide ISU to the second-best turnaround in Division I.
In her second season, the Bengals finished second in the Big Sky Conference, and then won the regular season title in her final year, toppling perennial Big Sky power Montana.
During her playing days, Newlee earned All-GSC honors and a 1999 NCAA Division II South Region MVP at Arkansas Tech under head coach Joe Foley. She continues to hold Tech’s single season (98) and career (279) records for three-point shots made.
In her playing career, the Golden Suns compiled a 103-28 record and made national tournament appearances all four seasons. As a freshman, Newlee helped the Golden Suns to the NCAA Division II Championship game.
Newlee was also selected to the CoSIDA Verizon Academic All-District Team, Gulf South Conference All-Academic Team and made the Dean’s List at ATU.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in history and political science at Arkansas Tech, and received her master’s degree in athletic administration from Idaho State in December 2006.
Newlee is the mother of a 3-year-old daughter, Bailey, and they visit Bailey’s grandparents in Clarksville, Ark., as often as possible.
