Occidental Names Newhall to Replace Westphal

Brian Newhall, the junior varsity basketball coach at Occidental College, has been named to replace Bill Westphal as the school’s varsity coach.

Newhall, 28, coached his 1987 team to a share of the conference championship and a 13-11 overall record, 8-4 in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Assn., despite having no starter taller than 6 feet, 2 inches.

Last season, the Tigers (12-14, 4-6) finished fourth in the conference.

Westphal, who was 136-104 in his nine years at Occidental, left the school to take over for his brother, Paul, at Grand Canyon College in Phoenix.

Paul Westphal led the school to the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics title in 1987 and recently was hired as an assistant with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns.