Ken Niumatalolo out as Navy football head coach

The U.S. Naval Academy announced Sunday that head football coach Ken Niumatalolo is out as the team’s head coach.

He had been the head coach of the team since 2008, and leaves as the Midshipmen’s all-time winningest coach, with 109 wins.

But Navy had struggled over the last three seasons, because they have gone 11-23 and one winning season over the last five years.



Defensive coordinator Brian Newberry has been selected as Navy’s interim head coach.

“Our sincerest gratitude to Coach Ken for what has been a distinguished and impactful legacy at the Naval Academy,” Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk said in a statement.

“Navy football flourished for many years under his leadership. He will forever be remembered for the influence he has had on the lives of those who played for him,” Gladhuck added. “We all have great respect and appreciation for his 25 years of service to the Academy.”

Niumatalolo led Navy to a share of an AAC West Division title in 2015, and won the AAC West title outright in 2016 in the school’s first two seasons in the American Athletic Conference. Additionally, they’ve shared the West Division title in 2019.

“The Naval Academy will now move forward with continued high ambitions and embrace a new era of reaffirmed expectations for Navy football and our midshipmen,” said Gladchuk.

Tadiwos Abedje

Tadi Abedje is a freelance digital writer/editor for WTOP. He was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Northern Virginia. Journalism has been his No. 1 passion since he was a kid and he is blessed to be around people, telling their stories and sharing them with the world.

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