Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo was kind enough to take out 10 minutes of his Tuesday afternoon to discuss a handful of topics, including spring practice — which begins Mar. 7 — Keenan Reynolds’ replacement at quarterback, and how he handled an offer from BYU last winter.
Tyler Waddell: You’re entering your ninth season as the head coach at Navy, and that means this will be your ninth spring practice. What have you found to be the No. 1 most important aspect of spring practice over the years?
Ken Niumatalolo: First and foremost, every new year is different than anything that you might have done the previous year. You can learn from it, but you can’t assume that this team knows anything. It’s all about building a culture and laying out the foundation.
If coaches could, we’d practice forever and tackle all the time. But football players are human – they get injured. So (during the spring), we focus on simulating the skills necessary to play the game. It’s a balance of finding a way to get ready more than just the X’s and O’s. We have to build a culture, learn how to play, and find out how to win.
TW: There were quite a few milestones in 2015. Navy joined a conference, won a program-record 11 games, and saw its quarterback break a few national records in the process. What was it like as a head coach to see all of this unfold, and how do you top it?
KN: It was a great honor to be involved (with last year’s team) and to see so much success, so I’m happy for the players and it’s great to be a part of it. We need to keep pressing forward and be the best that we can be. Last year’s model was to go 1-0 each week, not to look too far ahead, and to worry about the next game on the schedule. We will keep intact the things that we do – we want to be tough and disciplined – but we’re always trying to improve.
TW: Speaking of your all-world QB, what can you say about Keenan Reynolds – his time with Navy, his number being retired, and what he does next?
KN: I’m very proud of Keenan. He was one of the best players that has ever played at the United States Naval Academy, and his NCAA records speak volume to how good he was. He’s going to have some opportunities – some (NFL) people have interest – and I pray that everything works out for him.”
TW: How do you go about replacing Reynolds? I know Tago Smith has been waiting in the wings for awhile and I’m sure is chomping at the bit to show the nation what he can do in this system. Is he your guy?
KN: (Tago) is definitely our quarterback, and he’s a real good one. He’s one of the more athletic players on the team and could have played a few different positions the last two years, but his value as a quarterback was far too high for us to move him.
It’s his time, it’s his turn, he’s going to be ready and he’s going to do good things.
TW: How was your first year in a conference?
KN: Fortunately, we were able to win. The more we won, the more notoriety and national exposure we received, and that had to do with being in the (American Athletic Conference); the chase for the conference title/last week of the season was really exciting.
TW: You turned down an offer to become BYU’s next head coach this offseason. Did you ever consider leaving Navy and what was the deciding factor(s)?
KN: Last year, thanks to the product of our successful program, there were a couple of teams that were interested (in hiring me). BYU was the one that had sparked some of my interest. I’d be able to watch my son play, plus my faith (as a Mormon) means very much to me.
I have a great job here. It’s not like I was out looking for a job. I love coaching at the Naval Academy, I love living in Annapolis, and I love the kids that I coach. I’m not looking for other opportunities. Ultimately, there were some things that were (intriguing), but in the end, weren’t a fit. I wasn’t trying to force it – it had to be an exact perfect fit. I’d be leaving a phenomenal job … unless the pieces were to fit, I wasn’t going to leave.
I’m not looking for anything, but if people come knocking on the door and the opportunity is better for my family, I owe it to the them and will look at it. But I’ve been here for 18 years, so I’m not looking to leave. I love coaching here.
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