Navy head football coach Ken Niumatalolo had to make some drastic changes after the 2018 season ended with a 17-10 loss to archrival Army.
The Midshipmen finished the year with a disappointing 3-10 record, only the second losing season since Niumatalolo took over the program in December 2007. The long-tenured coach was determined to move the program forward.
One of the first orders of business was improving the team’s diet under the guidance of a nutritionist. The school is also making upgrades to the team’s facilities with a new locker room, weight room and the Terwilliger Physical Mission Center, a $20-million addition to Ricketts Hall financed by private donations.
Niumatalolo then hired Brian Newberry to replace the retiring Dale Pehrson as the defensive coordinator. Newberry previously served as the defensive coordinator at Kennesaw State and oversaw a unit that ranked second in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision for total defense in 2018, allowing just 263.7 yards per game.
“There was a philosophy I knew that I wanted,” Niumatalolo said. “I wanted to attack. I wanted to come after people. I wanted to be chaotic. But I also wanted to be somewhat sound and safe. Give the illusion of coming after people. There’s chaos, but there’s organization and simplicity to your system.
“I talked to a lot of people, looked at a lot of different programs and finally settled on Brian Newberry. I made a lot of bad decisions as a coach and a person, and that one wasn’t one of them. It’s been a home run.”
The goal is to give opposing offenses a different look and force them to make mistakes once Navy kicks off the season against Holy Cross Aug. 31 and opens American Athletic Conference play against East Carolina Sept. 14. Newberry plans to be more aggressive in attacking opponents and wants the linebackers to be more versatile, especially in pass coverage.
Last season, the Midshipmen allowed an average of 36.5 points per game in their 10 losses. That will need to improve for the program to get back to bowl eligibility, a benchmark the Mids hit every year from 2012-2017.
Niumatalolo, however, has not spent much time thinking about last season’s disappointing finish. Navy was picked to finish fifth in the AAC’s West Division in the preseason poll.
“There is a lot of things we already addressed,” Niumatalolo said. “I’m beyond that already, dwelling on last season. It’s the way we’ve worked until now. Every day has driven our guys to be the best they can be. They’ve worked their butts off. We’re looking at the 2019 season, not 2018, and that’s the way I look at it.”
Niumatalolo is confident the Mids are poised to get the program back on track. He has a veteran group of players who have been all-in since the disappointing loss to Army, which they’ll have a chance to avenge Dec. 14.
“This is my 35th year involved with college football and my 22nd year at Navy, and I don’t know if I’ve ever been more excited,” Niumatalolo said. “After doing this for 35 years, I know when a good team is coming together. I really believe this can be one of the great football teams at the Naval Academy.”
Malcolm Perry Fully Focused As Starting Quarterback
Malcolm Perry spent the offseason focused on being a solid quarterback as opposed to worried about how he might perform as a running back.
Niumatalolo has been pleased with Perry’s progress and took some blame for putting him in a tough position last year. Perry split time between quarterback and slot back last year.
“I did a bad job with that,” Niumatalolo said. “If you’re the quarterback, you have to be the quarterback. He’s the most dynamic runner we’ve had since I’ve been here. There are some things he had to work on in the passing game. He’s a smart kid. He recognized that and he’s worked his butt off. I’m super encouraged.”
There are already high expectations surrounding Perry. He was named to the 2019 Maxwell Award Preseason watch list by the Maxwell Football Club, presented annually to the college football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, head coaches and Maxwell Football Club members to be the best all-around player in the country.
Perry already has 2,342 career rushing yards as a slot back and quarterback, which ranks eighth in school history. He is on pace to become just the fourth player in program history to rush for 3,000 career yards, joining all-time leader Keenan Reynolds (4,559 yards, 2012-2015), Napoleon McCallum (4,179 yards, 1981-1985) and Chris McCoy (3,401 yards, 1995-1997).
Perry has embraced the responsibility of leading the offense. The Midshipmen averaged 72.8 passing yards per game last season, which ranked last among 129 schools in major college football.
“The biggest difference is embracing the role that I am the starting quarterback,” Perry said. “All of the weight is on my shoulders. The offense, especially, relies on me.”
Perry has spent the offseason working on his passing skills. However, he will continue to be a threat on the run. During eight career starts at quarterback, Perry has carried the ball 184 times for 1,230 yards (6.7 yards per carry) and 13 touchdowns. He has also rushed for more than 100 yards in six of his eight starts at quarterback and for more than 200 yards in three of those games — SMU and Army in 2017 and Lehigh in 2018.
Perry is also one of just five players in school history to have two 200-yard rushing games in a single season, joining Zach Abey (2017), Reynolds (2013 and 2014), McCoy (1996 and 1997) and McCallum (1983).
Still, Perry hopes to keep teams on their heels with his ability to throw the ball deep when opponents stack the box. Niumatalolo also wants the team to get away from being a one-dimensional offense.
Last season, Perry completed nine of 25 passes for 222 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He plans to improve on those numbers.
“The biggest stride is mentally, just not being afraid to not be perfect,” Perry said. “It sounds kind of weird. But I think that’s what’s been holding me back, trying to be perfect and thinking too much. I’ve just been letting the ball go and being OK with making mistakes in practice, so I don’t make them in the game.”
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox
Issue 256: August 2019