Dennis Newell enters his second season at North Dakota State University as the Head Cross Country and Assistant Track & Field Coach (Middle Distance and Long Distance).

Newell wasted no time in making his mark as a Bison.  Newell guided the Bison women to a runner-up finish at the Summit League XC Championships, almost stealing the title in his first three months on the job (second by 1 point). 

On the track and & field side of things, Newell help lead the Bison men to the 2022 Outdoor Track & Field Team Title.  In route, Newell coached the 2022 Summit League Outdoor 1500m Champion, Josh Samyn.  Newell mentored Kelby Anderson on the women’s side of things to the 2022 Indoor Summit League Track Athlete of the Year and the 2022 Outdoor Summit League Track Athlete of the Year.  Anderson also qualified for the NCAA Division I West Region Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the 5,000m, running 15:58.19. Prior to North Dakota State University.

Newell spent the past 15 years at the University of Mary, serving as the head cross country coach and associate head track & field coach from 2006-17, head cross country and track & field coach from 2017-20, and Director of Cross Country and Track & Field 2020-21. 

Newell developed Mary into a regional and national power in cross country and track & field, specializing in the middle distance and long distance events. The Marauders won 24 NSIC team championships in cross country and track & field during his tenure, including 19 titles in women's track & field since 2007.

The Mary women earned NCAA Division II runner-up team finishes in cross country in both 2017 and 2018 and earned an NCAA Division II podium finish (4th place), in indoor track & field in 2018. 

Newell has mentored 172 NCAA D-II All-Americans and 12 individual national champions, including Ida Narbuvoll in 2021, who won the NCAA Division II National titles in both the 10,000m and 5,000m, setting the Division II outdoor 5,000m record.  Narbuvoll then went on to compete in the 2021 Norwegian Track & Field Championships and won the 10,000m and was runner-up in the 5,000m. 

Newell boasts 20 Coach of the Year honors in his career, highlighted by being named the 2013 NCAA Division II Indoor Women's Assistant Coach of the Year. He has garnered five NCAA Division II Central Region Head Coach of the Year accolades – three in women's cross country and eight in women's indoor and outdoor track & field – and 11 NSIC Coach of the Year awards. 

Newell is a USATF Level I, II, and III (Endurance) certified coach and holds his USTFCCCA Master Endorsements in cross country and middle distance. Newell earned a Bachelor of Science degree in wellness management from Black Hills State University in 2004 and a Master of Science in kinesiology from North Dakota in 2005.

He was a 10-time NAIA All-American at Black Hills State in cross country and track, earning individual national runner-up honors in both cross country (2002) and outdoor track (2003). A native of Williston, N.D.

Newell spent the first 10 years of his life in North Dakota before moving to Billings, Montana, and graduating from Skyview HS.

He is married to Parshall, N.D., native Catelin Newell (NDSU, 2003), and they have four children – Piper Lynn (14), Christian Joseph (10), Crosby Ray (8) and Jonah Lee (4).