Navy Man
Ken Niumatalolo, the first Samoan to lead a major football program, comes home as Navy’s head coach
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guys know that in a year or so they could be serving side by side.”
It is that service - even more than the educational demands or the community service projects in which his players do far more than their fair share - that sets them apart and inspires the coach.
“There is no rest for these kids. I look at some of the classes they are taking, and I’m like ‘Holy smokes!’ I couldn’t imagine taking these classes and trying to get some sleep so you can practice in the morning. I guess all college students have all-night study sessions and cram for exams, but what these guys have to do on a daily basis is unbelievable.”
The coach’s admiration is not misplaced. Days at the academy begin at 6:30 a.m. and last until 11 p.m. when the nightly study periods end. Midshipmen attend six classes a day, in addition to time spent for company training and drills and parades that occur twice a week during fall and spring. Every cadet also takes part in some form of athletics. But the real impressive stuff happens when Niumatalolo’s players graduate from studying theoretical conflicts to facing the real thing.
“We’ve lost a couple of kids. Not a lot. Two, for sure,” says the suddenly quieter coach. “It is always tough. Because you know they are great people and you see their parents, you see their family, you reminisce when they are here ... It’s definitely tough because you know their families, you know them. Obviously there are other people serving their country who pass away. But when it’s somebody you know intimately ... you feel for all of them, but it’s hard when it is some guys you’ve coached.”
Niumatalolo’s success is not because of simple good fortune. He has served under and learned from some very successful coaches. And from each he has taken away something different. From Wagner, he learned about being meticulous and fundamentally sound. Dick Tomey was a great motivator. Niumatalolo says Hall of Fame coach John Robinson taught him about class and how to treat people. Johnson, of course, has been his biggest influence as the guy who taught him how to dominate on the ground in an era of gaudy passing numbers.
All of which means a tough test for his alma mater. Going into its game against San Jose State, Hawaii ranked No. 106 nationally in rushing yards allowed per game. Navy chews up an average of 282.5 yards per contest - good for No. 3 in the nation. The Midshipmen also have quarterback Ricky Dobbs, who not only has rushed for 22 scores - second all time behind Florida quarterback Tim Tebow who ran for 23 two years ago - but is, according to his coach, the best passer the academy has had in a decade.
Regardless of the outcome, the experience will surely be memorably bittersweet.
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