Newman takes reins for Raptors

The Academic Magnet boys' basketball team has a new coach and a new attitude.

Brett Newman is the new coach and the former Marine is going to use discipline, fair but firm, to shape the team. The 39-year-old becomes only the second coach in Magnet history. He replaces Ronald Williams, who resigned following the completion of the best season in school history.

The 2007-08 Raptors won the Region 6-A championship and reached the playoffs. Both accomplishments were firsts for the school. They were led by nine seniors, including all-state guard Lucas Hagerty.

The new attitude is "changing the mystique that we're just a bunch of brainiacs playing basketball," Newman said. "Why go to a private school and pay $18,000 when you can attend Academic Magnet where you can get a great education and play at a high level?"

Newman comes to the Lowcountry from Boca Raton, Fla. His son Colby played high school basketball and was recruited by Georgia Southern, the College of Charleston and The Citadel. Georgia Southern won the recruiting battle, but Newman chose Charleston as the place he wanted to live — and coach.

He said he will use basketball to teach life's lessons.

"It's about maturing as a person," he said. "It's just not wins and losses, but how you handle and grow from life's adversities."

His first team will be young, but has already shown that it's getting better.

"We played in The Citadel Shoot Around and lost all four games," Newman said. "Then we went to the Presbyterian College camp and went 5-3. We lost to Dorman and a couple of other big schools."

McCoy cut

Former Baptist Hill and South Carolina State quarterback Cleve McCoy's bid to make the roster of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers took a hit over the weekend when the team made its final cuts before Friday's regular season opener against the Toronto Argonauts.

There's a chance McCoy might sign on as a member of the practice team.

Phillips hired

The new Charleston Charter School for Math and Science has hired Brett Phillips as its athletic director.

He graduated from Queens University in 1998 with a bachelor of arts degree in American Studies.

He was the women's basketball coach at Converse College from 2005-08, and was assistant's men's coach at Massanutten Military College in Woodstock, Va., from 2003-05.

Reach Philip M. Bowman at pbowman@postandcourier.com.