Makenna Newkirk returns to Penn State for her fifth season in 2026–27 and her second as Associate Head Coach after being elevated in July 2025.
Newkirk played an instrumental role in player development, helping guide Penn State to a fourth straight AHA Tournament title and its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in 2025–26.
Over the last four seasons, Newkirk has elevated the Penn State offense in all facets. The Nittany Lions have scored at least 121 goals in every season she has been on staff, including 165 in 2025–26, which ranked fourth nationally. Five new single-season program records were also broken in 2025-26, including 252 assists (fourth in the nation), 417 points (fourth), 34 power-play goals (fifth), and 1,505 shots. Penn State also led the country in shorthanded goals in both 2024–25 (nine) and 2025–26 (eight).
Newkirk also helped produce four AHA Players of the Year, including Kiara Zanon (2022–23) and Tessa Janecke, who earned the honor three times (2023–24, 2024–25, and 2025–26). Janecke also earned First Team All-USCHO and CCM/AHCA First Team All-America honors in 2025–26, and was named CHA Rookie of the Year in 2022–23.
Newkirk also played a key role in Janecke’s rise to national prominence, as she became Penn State’s first-ever top-three finalist for the 2025–26 Patty Kazmaier Award after finishing as a top-10 finalist in both 2023–24 and 2024–25.
In 2025–26, Newkirk also helped develop three forwards who were selected for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano-Cortina: Tessa Janecke (USA), Tessa Fantin (Italy), and Nicole Hall (Sweden).
Newkirk joined the Nittany Lions after spending the 2021–22 season with Brown University in ECAC Hockey. Brown posted its best overall record in five seasons, its most ECAC wins since 2008–09, and its highest conference finish in a decade. During her time at Brown, she also mentored current Boston Fleet (PWHL) forward Shay Maloney.
Newkirk previously served as a mentor to Caroline Harvey at the North American Hockey Academy prior to Harvey’s participation with Team USA at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.
Newkirk, a Scottsdale, Ariz. native, starred at Boston College from 2015–19, finishing her career ranked fifth in program history in points (189), sixth in goals (73), third in assists (116), and fourth in game-winning goals (14). She was also a two-time captain.
Newkirk also competed for USA Hockey on the U22 National Team, was an invitee to Olympic tryouts for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games, and attended three National Team Festivals.
She was selected seventh overall in the 2019 NWHL Draft and played two seasons in the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association in the New Hampshire Region.
Her additional coaching experience includes time at the North American Hockey Academy at the U16 and U19 levels, as well as an assistant coaching role at Milton Academy in 2019–20.