LYNN – The name Jeff Newhall has become synonymous with athletic excellence at St. Mary’s. Now it
will be in plain sight for everyone to see.
The basketball court in the Tony Conigliaro ’62 Gymnasium will be named Jeff Newhall Court. Aformal dedication ceremony will take place on December 13 between games at the
Mosakowski Tipoff Classic, when the girls and boys teams host Andover.
“We are proud to honor Jeff’s legacy as the driving force behind unparalleled success in
athletics at St. Mary’s,” said Head of School Dr. John F. Dolan. “We believe we have the best
athletic director in the state, who is also an invaluable member of our leadership team.”
Newhall, a 1994 St. Mary’s graduate, started teaching at the school in 2000, has coached the
girls basketball team since 2005 and took over as athletic director in 2007. He also serves as
director of campus operations. As a coach, he has a career record of 394-149 (.726) with five
state championships and five North sectional titles. He coached the golf team to a state
championship in 2006.
“I’m humbled,” Newhall said. “I’ve been around St. Mary’s my entire life and I feel privileged to
have worked with so many outstanding student-athletes. I sincerely appreciate this honor.”
With Newhall as athletic director, St. Mary’s teams have won at least one state championship
17 straight years and 23 state titles overall in that span. He is the MIAA soccer tournament
director, chair of the MIAA Basketball Committee, and a member of the Tournament
Management Committee. He is also the assistant director of the Agganis All-Star Games.
In the 19 years Newhall has coached the girls basketball team, 100 percent of the graduating
seniors have gone on to 4-year colleges, with 15 receiving full scholarships to Division 1 or 2
schools.
“Coach Newhall pushed me to be a better person and player, shaping me into who I am today,”
said Yirsy Queliz ’23, a sophomore on full scholarship at Northeastern University. “Coming from
the Dominican Republic and not knowing what to expect, St. Mary’s turned out to be one of the
best experiences of my life. Coach Newhall saw my potential and was dedicated to developing
every aspect of my game while ensuring my transition to the U.S. was enjoyable and
worthwhile. He was more than just a coach; he was like family.”
Niya Morgen, also a 2023 St. Mary’s graduate, is a scholarship player at Bentley University.
“Coach Newhall and my girls at St. Mary’s helped me find the joy in basketball on top of
strengthening my love and passion for the game,” Morgen said. “Coach Newhall was different
than some of the other coaches I’ve had. He’s not just a coach; he was a friend, and a shoulder
to cry on. He made sure all of us were taken care of and knew if we needed anything we could always come to him. To him it’s bigger than basketball, and if it wasn’t for St. Mary’s giving me
an opportunity, I wouldn’t be in the same position I am in today.”
Brianna Rudolph St. Mary’s Class of 2014, earned a full scholarship to play at UMass Lowell,
graduating in 2018 with a degree in criminal justice. She went on to work for the UMass Lowell
Police and Concord (Mass.) Police before joining the Massachusetts State Police, where she is
currently a trooper.
“Without St. Mary’s, I would not be where I am today,” Rudolph said. “Jeff Newhall is more
than a coach. He cares deeply about the players he coaches, as well as the St. Mary’s
community. Jeff Newhall has been instrumental in my success on and off the court.”
The honor of the court naming is not lost on Newhall’s father.
“As a family that has been involved at St. Mary's since 1948, we are obviously very proud of
Jeff’s accomplishments and contributions to the school and we thank St Mary's for honoring
him,” said Tom Newhall, a former St. Mary’s athletic director.
Prior to St. Mary’s, Newhall was the varsity girls basketball coach at Marblehead High School for
three years. His first coaching job was as an assistant to Julie Halloran at Swampscott High.
Newhall lives in Lynn with his wife, Chrissy, and their three children: 11-year-old Alex and 9-
year-old twins Andrew and Eva, all of whom attend St. Mary’s, which is a pre-K-12 school.
