Ken Niumatalolo was in Seattle recruiting during his off week in December when his cell phone rang. Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk called to break the news that Niumatalolo’s longtime friend and mentor Paul Johnson, the architect of Navy’s renaissance this decade, had interviewed at other schools and likely wouldn’t return to Annapolis.
“He called me in the morning, and he told me he thought Paul was going to take the [Georgia Tech] job, and he told me to fly back [to Annapolis] because he would like to talk to me,” Niumatalolo recalled. “So I got back at about 5 or 6 [p.m.] from the West Coast, and we spoke until about midnight. The interview seemed like it took forever.”
Niumatalolo and Gladchuk discussed everything from the nuances of the triple-option offense to the future of the program. The conversation provided Gladchuk with all the incentive he needed because he promoted the offensive line coach to head coach the next day.
“Everything happened so fast,” Niumatalolo said. “I thought I would have a chance. There were guys that had been here for a while and a lot of qualified people. I thought I would be a candidate, but I didn’t know if I would get it or not.”
A 35-32 loss to Utah in the Poinsettia Bowl on Dec. 20 capped the whirlwind opening weeks of Niumatalolo’s coaching career. He considers bowl games a reward for the players’ diligence over the course of a season. The preparation for it is lighter than it is for a regular-season game, and the Midshipmen can enjoy the city they visit.
But winning remains a priority. So as Niumatalolo prepares for his first full season as coach, the mistakes of his maiden voyage with a headset still irk him.
“Honestly I still get pissed off when I think about that game,” he said. “We should have won the game. We had a chance early on to put them away, and we didn’t. In terms of game management, there’s some things I think we could have done better.”
Most of the Mids’ players and coaches moved on from that result. But not Niumatalolo. He expects maximum effort from his players every day, barking at them for running a play at half speed or walking on and off the field.
Niumatalolo’s committed to maintaining the success Johnson has brought to the program. He’s sticking with Navy’s principles: the triple-option offense, the 3-4 defense, outhustling and outworking the opposition.
After all, there’s no reason for Niumatalolo to make any wholesale changes. Under Johnson’s watch, the Mids won five straight Commander-in-Chief’s trophies and earned five straight bowl berths, both school records.
“We’re still doing the exact same stuff out here. It’s just a different coach at the head spot,” said quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, a fellow Hawaiian whom Niumatalolo recruited.
Niumatalolo seems uncomfortable when asked about the differences between him and his predecessor. He brushes off the question with a rare quip about the differences in their accent.
But there are some variations. Johnson has a quick wit and often would use it when sparring with the media, whereas Niumatalolo is more direct when evaluating his team.
There is a different atmosphere in coaches meetings as well. While Johnson dominated them, Niumatalolo turns to his assistants for advice.
“Kenny looks for input. We talk about a lot of things concerning the program,” said defensive coordinator Buddy Green, who spent six years as the head coach at Tennessee-Chattanooga. “He’s on top of every detail in the program and what needs to be done to make things better, and he involves all of us. The lines are open for communication when it comes to the program.”
Niumatalolo said several of his former bosses - Bob Wagner at Hawaii, Charlie Weatherbie from his first stint at Navy and John Robinson at UNLV - influenced him but none more than Johnson.
Johnson first introduced the idea of coaching to Niumatalolo during his senior year at Hawaii. Johnson convinced him to become a graduate assistant. And Johnson taught him the intricacies of the triple-option.
“If it wasn’t for Coach Johnson, I wouldn’t be here,” Niumatalolo said.
Now tasked with heading the program, Niumatalolo faces new challenges. His booked schedule consists of practices, meetings and various booster-club banquets. He had to find the balance that all coaches must between embracing the community and fan base and keeping the team performing at its peak.
But more than anything, Niumatalolo has sat in his office and reflected on the responsibility he has in guiding the students of a service academy.
“I think about it all the time,” he said. “As bad as I want to win - and I want to win in the worst way because I know if you don’t win you don’t keep your job - I’ve thought about the impact that I have on these young men. Obviously they are going to serve our country, and that impact has really hit me from the standpoint of my role helping molding these young men. Hopefully the things they learn on our team, on the football field and in the meeting rooms when we’re together will help them as Naval and Marine officers and will help them later on in life as a father and as a husband.”
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