KALAMAZOO, MI –– There’s only one number retired in Western Michigan men’s basketball history, the same number, along with the same name and jersey, that’s currently hanging high in the rafters at University Arena.
No. 5 –– Manny Newsome.
That alone reflects the significance and legacy Manny Newsome left at Western Michigan –– a men’s basketball legend, a WMU Hall of Famer and one of the greatest Bronco athletes of all-time. Newsome was a basketball savant at Western Michigan and left as an All-American.
Newsome died on May 24, 2025. He was 83.
Western Michigan announced Newsome’s passing in a press release on Monday, mourning the loss of not only one of the most iconic Broncos all-time, but also one of the most prolific scorers in college basketball history.
“As the only Bronco men’s basketball student-athlete with a retired number, Dr. Manny Newsome has left a legacy of excellence with our basketball program and university,” WMU athletic director Dan Bartholomae said via the release. “That excellence includes recognition as an All-American and a WMU athletics Hall of Famer, but also as an accomplished student affairs professional at WMU and several other distinguished institutions. We all mourn this loss and hold his family in our hearts.”
A Gary, Indiana native, Newsome landed in Kalamazoo in 1960 upon graduating from Theodore Roosevelt High School –– a place he shined in basketball and track, helping the track team win a state title.
Newsome went on to star at Western Michigan, leading the entire nation in scoring for part of his senior year, which included spectacular 45-point performances against Michigan State and Toledo during that 1964 season.
Across his three-year Bronco career, Newsome averaged an eye-popping 26.3 points per game, tallying 1,787 points, which was a school record that stood for over 45 years. His 654 points during his senior season were also school record breaker, one that lasted over four decades.
Currently, Newsome still holds a trio of program records –– including single-season points per game (32.7), career scoring average (26.3) and career field goals (729).
That type of scoring prowess allowed Newsome to be honored on several occasions, receiving three straight All-MAC first team honors, while also being named an All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches in 1964.
Following that season, Newsome was invited to the U.S. Olympic Trials.
Newsome’s jersey was retired by WMU in 2018 during a special ceremony, and his unforgettable career was capped by being inducted in the WMU Hall of Fame (1974), the MAC Hall of Fame (1988), the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame (1994) and the Gary Indiana Sports Hall of Fame (2024).
After basketball, Newsome began his professional career at WMU , where he broke barriers in becoming the first African American administrator in the university’s history. He earned his Ph.D. in counseling and psychological services in higher education at Indiana State, and completed his post-doctor studies at Harvard, where he earned a certificate in management and development in higher education.
From there, Newsome served as the dean of students at Toledo before becoming the senior vice president of student affairs at Florida Atlantic University (1988-2006).
Upon retiring in 2006, Newsome served as adjunct professor of educational leadership at FAU until 2016.
Newsome leaves behind his wife, Nellie, children, Eric, Ericka, and Kimberly, and grandchildren Brandon, Jalen, Diamond, Sapphire and Emmanuel.
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