Women’s Basketball

Fresh off a second straight conference championship and berth in the NCAA Division II Softball World Series, Eric Newell begins his first season at Troy’s head coach in 2023.

Newell led Auburn-Montgomery to back-to-back No. 3 national rankings the past two seasons as the Warhawks were among the final six teams remaining in the 2022 NCAA Division II Softball World Series after AUM won both its Regional and Super Regional matchups. In 16 seasons as a head coach, Newell’s teams have dominated on the field, posting a combined .727 winning percentage between his eight years at Williams Baptist (254-121) and eight seasons at AUM (302-88). Newell-coached teams have won eight conference titles and appeared in six NCAA or NAIA postseason tournaments with four World Series appearances. Newell’s aggressive style of play led AUM to ranking in the top 14 nationally in scoring his final four seasons with the program. Additionally, the Warhawks stole more than 100 bases in each of his final four full seasons, including 179 in 2019, the third-most in the country. AUM’s 2.82 stolen bases per game in 2018 were the fifth-most nationally. AUM’s dominance also translated to the circle, where Warhawk pitchers combined for a 1.97 ERA with 66 complete games and 54 shutouts from 2019 to 2022.

This past season, Newell guided the Warhawks to 49 wins, their most ever since moving to the Division II level in 2017 and most since Newell’s 2016 NAIA World Series squad won 53 games. AUM was electric on the field, stealing 105 bases in 62 games, all while belting 54 home runs, 71 doubles, 20 triples and posting an .852 team OPS. Additionally, the Warhawks averaged 6.3 runs per game and finished ninth nationally in runs scored. AUM pitchers tossed 31 complete games and 12 shutouts with the Warhawks’ top two pitchers both finishing with sub 1.70 ERAs on the year. Newell and the Warhawks were rewarded for their outstanding play, with Gia Martin earning All-America distinction, Newell taking home Gulf South Coach of the Year honors, three Warhawks earning all-region awards and five taking home all-conference recognition. AUM’s 2022 season was a perfect bookend for Newell’s career in the Capital City after he began his tenure leading the Warhawks to the 2015 NAIA National Championship. AUM rolled through the Southern States Athletic Conference with a 24-2 record and didn’t allow a run in the AUM Bracket of the NAIA Opening Round. The Warhawks finished the year with a school record 46 wins as they won their four games in the World Series by a combined 31-1 score. He was named the SSAC and NAIA Coach of the Year, while he and assistant coach Scottie Wilkes were named the NAIA Coaching Staff of the Year by the NFCA. Individually, Cassie Jones was named the 2015 NAIA National Player of the Year, NAIA All-American and the SSAC Pitcher of the Year. Newell led AUM in its transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II prior to the 2017 season, and it didn’t take long for the Warhawks to adjust to their elevated level of competition. Newell led AUM to a 43-12 record in 2019, including a 20-9 mark in the Gulf South Conference, and had the Warhawks rolling in the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season. AUM had won seven games in a row and nine of its last 10 when the season was halted.

SOCCER COACH Sixteen-year coaching veteran Robert Lane begins his first season asTroy’s soccer head coach in 2022; he comes to Troy following three seasons as the first assistant coach at Georgia and with eight years of head coaching experience in tow.

Lane helped lead Georgia to an 11-5-3 mark this past season as the Bulldogs finished the season ranked No. 55 in the NCAA’s RPI, Georgia’s best RPI finish since 2004. In addition, the Bulldogs clinched spots in the SEC Tournament in all three of Lane’s seasons in Athens after not qualifying each of the previous four seasons.

Under Lane’s tutelage, Georgia forward Mollie Belisle earned third team All-America honors and was named the SEC Forward of the Year. She became just the third All-American in program history and was one of four Bulldogs who took home all-region distinction. Lane was also a key recruiter for the Bulldogs, who landed a top 30 signing class in 2021.

Prior to his time at Georgia, Lane was the head coach at Montevallo, where he led the Falcons to an improved win total each of his four seasons and a Gulf South Conference Championship Game appearance in his final season.

Lane took over a program that went 1-12-1 and lost by an aggregate of 39-13 the season before his arrival, and four seasons later posted a 107-2 record. He built such a culture of winning in the program that the Falcons continued their climb after he left with a conference title and NCAA berth the following season.

He served as the chair of the Gulf South Conference Coach’s Committee and was the NCAA RAC Committee and United Soccer Coaches All-Region/All-American South representative during his time at Montevallo.

Prior to rebuilding the Montevallo program, Lane was an assistant at Charlotte for four seasons (2011-14). While at Charlotte, the 49ers reached postseason play four straight years and won the Conference USA East Division title in 2013. Lane helped coach and recruit Freshman All-American Martha Thomas during the 2014 season, who is currently playing overseas for Manchester United.

Lane spent the 2011 season at Georgia Southern and assisted in recruiting the freshmen class that saw six players start for the Eagles in their 2012 NCAA Tournament appearance against Wake Forest.

He led Belmont Abbey to a pair of NCAA Division II Tournament appearances and a combined 31-8-3 record during his two seasons as the head coach. The Crusaders won the Conference Carolinas regular season title both seasons and the tournament championship in 2010. Lane was named the league’s 2010 Coach of the Year.

Lane began his coaching career as the head coach of the men’s team at Coker College from 2006-08. The Cobras improved their win total in each of his three seasons from a three-win team to a seven-win team and conference tournament appearance when he left.