"He was very interested in the job this past spring and was a finalist then. He is dedicated to these girls. A lot of coaches have to go to the bottom of the barrel to start. He is getting an opportunity to be head coach with a great group of players. We are excited to have him and think he will do a great job."
Christopher, 32, had no idea Newton was going to resign - or that he was going to be named coach - on Tuesday.
"I am as shocked as anyone," Christopher said. "I didn't know anything about this at all."
Christopher is taking the same philosophy about getting the job as Billy Gillispie did at Kentucky when the Wildcats first pursued Billy Donovan before offering him the job.
"I don't care if I was the seventh finalist or first, this is my hometown and I have the opportunity to coach here and have an opportunity that not a lot of people have," Christopher said. "I just have to get the job done. I have to do the best I can and be a good teacher for these girls."
Boyle opens the season Friday at Washington County.
Thomas says it was a lack of head coaching experience that kept Christopher from getting the job a few months ago.
"He was a finalist and a great applicant. We realize we have special group of girls this year and wanted somebody with head coaching experience to work with them," Thomas said.
Head coach for one game
Christopher did serve as head coach one game last year when Mason was suspended and he ran the program for about a month during the transition from Mason's dismissal to Newton's hiring.
"This will be a situation where I do the best I can to put my stamp on the team this year," Christopher said. "Can I do that versus Washington County? No way. Defensively, we can because I have been running the defense. Offensively, no. I don't expect the kids to learn something new in three days. We will stick with what we have been doing and then enhance it."
Newton was a former boys coach at East Jessamine and Lexington Christian. He had spent the two previous years as athletics director at Grace College in Winona Lake, Ind., before taking the job at Boyle. He had not been a head coach for five years when he accepted the Boyle job, but he said then he was thrilled to be coming back to central Kentucky.
Athletics director Jim Spears said then that Newton was the best of a large group and was the "obvious choice to take the team to the next level" and was the "best fit" for Boyle at the time.
Thomas said he was surprised when Newton, who attended Rebel Night on Monday, told him Tuesday that he was leaving.
"When he told me, it was a big surprise," Thomas said. "But we're fortunate to have David here. He believes in these girls and he believes in Boyle County. It just fell in place for us to make him the coach. It was good timing for him and the team. It's like he's a natural for the job."
Spears also thinks Christopher is a logical choice to take over the program.
"Coach Christopher was on last year's staff and has an established rapport and respect with the team and parents. We are very fortunate to have such a capable coach to take over at this time," Spears said.
Christopher understands his players have to be leery of another coaching change and wonder what might happen next.
"I told the girls today this is an adult world and things changes, and sometimes they change quickly," Christopher said. "I am committed to them. I am not going anywhere.
"I came home to stay. I did not plan to be a head coach this year. I came back to be an assistant coach for coach Mason. Now I am being put in a position to do the best I can. But I never imagined anything like this was going to happen and I know how the girls have to feel. Fortunately, they know me and I hope trust me and realize we are going to keep this program going."
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Thomas said Newton's health and physical education teaching position at the high school would be filled on a short-term basis. "It's very difficult to get people in here at this time of year. We will just re-post the job opening in the spring," Thomas said.
