Anthony Newman has served as West Linn's defensive coordinator since 2020, helping lead the Lions to two state championships.

For years, Anthony Newman resisted becoming a high school football head coach.

The former University of Oregon and NFL defensive back had plenty of success as a defensive coordinator – coaching three 6A title teams at Central Catholic and two at West Linn – but wasn't interested in taking on the peripheral duties of a head coach.

“I've been turning it down for years, all kinds of different jobs,” he said.

That changed in the past year, though, after Jon Eagle told Newman that he planned to step down as West Linn's head coach.

“He said, 'You've got to take over. It's your time,'” Newman said.

So by the time West Linn announced last week that Newman would succeed Eagle, assuming the helm for one of the state's perennial powers, Newman had finally embraced the idea. As the Lions head coach, he will draw on his years of assisting Steve Pyne at Central Catholic (2007-19) and Chris Miller (2020-21) and Eagle (2022-25) at West Linn.

“Now I'm ready,” said Newman, who lives in nearby Oregon City. “They have prepared me from witnessing what they did. I'm looking forward to it.”

Newman will continue in his role as defensive coordinator. Taylor Stinson will remain as offensive coordinator, duties he took over from Eagle last season, when the Lions went 11-1 and lost in the state semifinals. The rest of the staff will stay intact, according to Newman.

“If it's not broke, don't fix it,” Newman said. “Jon has put a path for all of us to follow. We do it together. I have the tag of head coach, but this whole coaching staff is unbelievable. We're good to go.”

Newman joined the staff at Central Catholic in 2007, seven years after his last NFL game. His three children were headed to Central Catholic and he asked Pyne if he could come aboard.

With Newman coaching the defense, the Rams won state titles in 2013, 2014 and 2019. Head coaching opportunities arose, but he recalled the words of former Beaverton high school teammate Bob Boyer, who became the Beavers' head coach.

“He told me, 'As the head coach, be prepared for getting away from the game of football, because you've got to take care of everything else,'” Newman said. “I said, 'I don't want to do that, I want to coach.' I remembered that for a long time.”

The youngest of Newman's three children graduated from Central Catholic in 2016, and three years later, he left the Rams' staff, saying he was “exhausted.” But Miller, Newman's former college teammate at Oregon, was able to lure Newman to coach at West Linn in 2020 after years of trying to do so.

When Miller resigned as the Lions coach after the 2021 season, Newman seemed like a logical replacement.

“Chris called me that morning and he said, 'I'm leaving, and I told the AD, and the job is yours,'” Newman said. “And I said, 'Well, I don't want it. I'm not ready to be a head coach right now, and I don't want to be a head coach.' I said, 'I'll find West Linn a coach.'”

Eagle, who coached Camas to Washington state titles in 2016 and 2019, called Newman when he learned about Miller's resignation.

“I said, 'OK, we need to meet for coffee, and I need to get you over here,'” Newman said.

West Linn hired Eagle, who went 45-4 in four seasons, including state championships in 2022 and 2024. He stepped down to spend more time with his grandchildren. He first told Newman of his pending resignation last year.

“I told him, 'Don't go yet, because I'm not ready,'” Newman said. “Finally, last offseason, he told me, 'I want you to run the whole offseason program. Let's get you ready, and then I'll do one more year, and then I'm done with it.' I said, 'All right, let's roll with it.'

“These kids are my life. … They make my heart beat.”

West Linn's staff includes three coaches Newman brought over from Central Catholic in Renny Rector, Travis McDonald and Damon Griffin. Newman is very close with Rector, who coaches outside linebackers and is the team's run-game coordinator.

“He's like my brother,” Newman said. “We think the same way. He's my right-hand man.”

Newman's primary job is with Anthony Newman Sports Camps, a summer series he started more than two decades ago. The camps conclude by early August, allowing him to focus on football.

In the last two years, Newman has invested more time in West Linn's youth program, teaching players grades 4-8 about the Lions' culture, concepts and philosophy. West Linn has one of the state's most successful youth programs, and with the lower-level high school teams going unbeaten last season, the future looks bright.

“Coach Eagle left the cupboards full. I'm blessed,” Newman said.