The Muskingum community mourns coach Donna J. Newberry, who passed away Nov. 10, 2010 in New Concord, Ohio, after a long battle with cancer. She was 58.

Newberry was the only coach to be named national coach of the tear in two sports – softball and basketball – and was the only coach in NCAA Division III history to achieve 900 victories in a single sport – softball.

She led Muskingum to the 2001 softball national championship. Her softball team perennially ranked in the top 25, and she coached Muskingum to 18 OAC Championships.  She was one of the first Division III coaches to be inducted into the National Fastpitch Softball Hall of Fame. On Oct. 9, Muskingum dedicated the Donna J. Newberry Softball Field in her honor.

As Muskingum’s women’s basketball coach, Newberry earned 403 victories and three OAC championships.  Her 1991 team finished as the national runner-up, falling to St. Thomas in the national championship game.

Newberry had retired from coaching this past spring with a record of 906-419-1.