Makenna Newkirk returns to Penn State as an assistant coach for her fourth season in 2025-26 and brings several great intangibles to the Penn State program. Newkirk has played an instrumental role in the development of players which led to a third straight AHA tournament title and NCAA tournament appearance a season ago. During her first three years at Penn State, she helped produce two AHA Players of the Year in Tessa Janecke (2023-24 and 2024-25) and Kiara Zanon (2022-23), while also leading Janecke to AHA Forward of the Year honors in 2023-24 and 2024-25 as well as her CHA Rookie of the Year award in 2022-23. She also helped Janecke become a top 10 Patty Kazmaier finalist in both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.
Over the past three seasons, Newkirk has elevated the Penn State offense in all facets. The Nittany Lions have scored at least 121 goals in every season Newkirk has been on the coaching staff, including a nation’s sixth best in 135 a season ago. That mark ranks second in program history behind the 140 goals scored during the 2022-23 campaign. The team’s 214 assists last season were another feat only bested by the 2022-23 team’s 237.
On the power play, Penn State scored 24 goals in 2024-25, tied for the third most in program history and the eighth most in the country. The Nittany Lions were unphased playing down a woman. The team scored nine shorthanded goals, including four by junior Maddy Christian. Both marks led the country.
A former Boston College team captain and star student-athlete, Newkirk joined the Nittany Lions after spending the 2021-22 season with Brown women's hockey in the ECAC.
She had a positive impact behind the bench for the Bears, as Brown finished the campaign with their best overall record in the last five seasons, including their most wins in ECAC play since 2008-09 and highest finish in the ECAC standings in a decade. During her time at Brown she mentored current Boston Fleet (PWHL) forward Shay Maloney.
Newkirk also served as a mentor to Caroline Harvey at the North American Hockey Academy prior to her time on Team USA at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.
The Scottsdale, Ariz. native shined in her collegiate career at Boston College from 2015-19 as one of the most consistent point producers and playmakers in the nation. She finished her BC career ranked fifth on the program scoring list in points (189), sixth in goals (73), third in assists (116) and fourth in game-winning scores (14) and was a two-time captain.
Newkirk also competed for USA Hockey on the U22 National Team, was an invitee to the Olympic Tryouts for the 2018 Pyeongyang Winter Games and also attended three National Team Festivals.
She was the seventh overall draft pick in the 2019 NWHL Draft and played two seasons in the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association in the New Hampshire Region.
Newkirk's additional coaching experience includes time with the North American Hockey Academy at the U16 and U19 levels. She also was an assistant coach for Milton Academy in 2019-20.