March 8, 1999
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Atlanta Tipoff Club, which presents the Naismith Awards, has namedUniversity of Kentucky Athletics Director C.M. Newton, the 1999 NaismithOutstanding Contribution to Basketball Award winner.
The Atlanta Tipoff Club, now in it’s 43rd year, established the NaismithOutstanding Contribution to Basketball Award in 1982 to honor an individualwho has made outstanding contributions and been a pioneer of the game. In1983, the criteria for the award changed to honor a coach who helpeddevelop the great game to its modern popularity. Lifetime achievement andhonorable exemplary service are also extremely important measures of theaward.
C.M. Newton has been the Director of Athletics at the University ofKentucky since 1989. Before coming to UK, he was head basketball coach atTransylvania University (1956-1968); University of Alabama (1969-1980);Vanderbilt University (1982-1989), and Assistant Commissioner, SoutheasternConference (1980-1981).
Newton has a notable basketball coaching career. Two consecutive seasons(1988 & 1989), he was named SEC Coach of the Year and was chosen the 1989Kodak NABC District IV Coach of the Year. In 32 years he compiled a509-375 record. In 1969, Newton answered a call from Paul “Bear” Bryant totake on the challenge of building the Alabama basketball program. In 12years, Newton managed a complete turnaround with the Crimson Tide,compiling a 211-123 record. In addition to three SEC Championships, theTide earned two trips to the NCAA Tournament, and four berths in the NIT.The satisfied Bryant once remarked, “C.M. Newton is a winner, and that’simportant, but more than anything else, he wins or loses with class, andthat’s more important.”
Newton is highly involved with basketball on the national level. He served11 years on the board of directors of the NABC. He worked 6 years(chairing for 5 years) on the NCAA Basketball Rules Committee. He wasPresident of USA Basketball, the nation’s governing body for allinternational basketball (1992-1996). He is a member of the NCAA DivisionI Basketball Committee and became chair in 1997-1998, and is a member ofthe NCAA Committee on Basketball Issues. As chairman of the NCAA Men’sBasketball Tournament Committee, Newton had the pleasure of handing the1998 championship trophy to Tubby Smith, Newton’s handpicked successor toRick Pitino.
Internationally, he represents North America on the 14-member FIBA CentralBoard. FIBA is the governing body for international basketball. He is amember of the COPABA Executive Board, which oversees internationalbasketball in North, Central and South America. Newton’s internationalcoaching accomplishments include team manager on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team(gold medal). He also took Vanderbilt to Taiwan to represent the U.S. inthe R. William Jones Cup International Tournament, winning the gold medalin 1983 and the silver in 1987.
In 1997, Newton was given the John Bunn Award by the Naismith BasketballHall of Fame. The award recognized Newton for his lifetime contributionsto the sport, and is the highest honor given by the Hall of Fame other thaninduction.
“C.M. Newton is truly one of the pioneers to our modern game of basketball. He is responsible for the innovations that provide the foundations for ourgreat game,” Jackie Bradford, Executive Director of the Atlanta Tipoff Clubsaid, “We are proud to honor him with the Naismith Outstanding ContributionAward.” The award will be presented at the Naismith Awards Banquet April3, 1999 in Atlanta.
Former Naismith Outstanding Contibutions to Basketball Winners
1982 Curt Gowdy1983 John Wooden1984 Ray Meyer1985 Hank Iba1986 Adolph Rupp (in memory)1987 Pete Newell1988 Red Auerbach1989 Nat Holman1990 Frank McGuire (in memory)1991 Clarence "Big House" Gaines1992 John McLendon1993 Dave Gavitt1994 Claire F. Bee (in memory)1995 Victor Bubas1996 Boris Stankovic1997 Dr. Forrest "Phog" Allen1998 Dean Smith
