IT’S MORE THAN WINS AND LOSSES FOR ME. I WANT TO SEE THEM DO WELL. I HOPE I CAN HAVE AN IMPACT ON THEIR LIVES. I THINK THAT’S PART OF IT. BECAUSE OF MY PERSONAL BELIEFS, IT’S JUST A JOB. I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE JOB. I BELIEVE YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO IMPACT PEOPLE’S LIVES.” Niumatalolo, a native of Hawaii, is Navy’s all-time winningest head coach, compiling a 105-75 record in 15 seasons. Navy won the Commander-in-Chief trophy three times and made bowl appearances nine times while winning six of them, including the Texas, Liberty, and two Military bowls. Niumatalolo also worked as a Navy assistant football coach for eight years.
TOWNE INTERVIEW
Ken Niumatalolo Head Coach, Navy Football
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By Tom Worgo | Photography courtesy Navy Athletics
or the Naval Academy’s Ken Niumatalolo, football and faith consume him. Niumatalolo is a longtime member of the Church of Latter-Day Saints. He is one of the six people featured in the 2014 documentary Meet the Mormons. He has been a Spanish missionary, a counselor, and now serves as stake president of The Church of LDS Annapolis.
It’s no surprise that he cares so much about the spiritual and emotional well-being of his players. “It’s more to me than just football,” Niumatalolo says. “I want them to succeed in life.” 50
What’s Up? Annapolis | August 2022 | whatsupmag.com
We spoke with the 57-yearold Niumatalolo about his faith, whether he will retire as Navy’s coach, and the thrill of watching his two sons play football at Broadneck High School and in college at Utah and Brigham Young. What are your on-the-field highlights? Beating Army consistently or one of the 11-2 seasons in which Navy won a bowl game? Definitely beating Army 10 times. It never gets old, and you are always grateful to beat them. Winning the Commander-in-Chief trophy six times. We beat Notre Dame three times, too. Those are definitely highlights. Are there any other highlights? With all that said, the highlight for me as a coach here is seeing my players come back. Seeing where they are as
men, fathers, and husbands. The lives they live and all the success they’ve had. To me, that’s the highlight of coaching at the Naval Academy. You are so involved with your players? Is it because faith is a big part of your life? I think it is. I am an emotional person. I joke with the guys one moment, could cry the next, and then another moment I might yell. Maybe a lot of it is my spiritual background. It’s more than wins and losses for me. I want to see them do well. I hope I can have an impact on their lives. I think that’s part of it. Because of my personal beliefs, it’s just a job. I am grateful for the job. I believe you have a chance to impact people’s lives. Maybe that’s why I am emotionally involved. It’s who I am. I am a simple person. Family-oriented. Faith-oriented. Does your experience as a counselor and missionary help you get through football’s tough times? I believe it does. I feel like my faith gives me perspective. I feel it gives me a different lens to look at the players. They are not guys who I teach to block and tackle. They are somebody’s son or brother. I feel like
