Niumatalolo lands at UCLA, to serve advisory role

UCLA has actually worked with former Navy football coach Ken Niumatalolo as the Bruins’director of management, the school revealed Friday.Niumatalolo, Navy’s winningest head coach, was fired at his locker after the Midshipmen’s 20-17 double-overtime loss to rival Army in Philadelphia in December.In his brand-new role, Niumatalolo– who had a credibility for graduating

his players, his sincere approach and preventing NCAA infractions– will work as an adviser to UCLA football’s staff and players, according to the school’s release.Niumatalolo told ESPN on Friday that although there were some other opportunities more particular to a training title, UCLA”felt ideal”to him since of previous ties to the area. There were also strong connections with the current personnel, including his child, former Utah tight end Ali’i Niumatalolo, who was just recently employed as an offending line graduate assistant. Former Navy assistant coach Bryce McDonald is UCLA football’s chief of staff, and UCLA assistant coach Brian Norwood is one of Niumatalolo’s friends.” I feel blessed,” stated Niumatalolo, who has hired the West Coast his whole career. “I’m actually thrilled to work with coach [Chip]

Kelly. I do not feel like UCLA is far off. He and I talked a few of his vision of what he sees in the position I’m actually thrilled about. “It simply informs you about how he is as a coach. He’s an established coach, he’s not threatened by me or anything, he’s not stressed over somebody examining his shoulder. That’s how Chip looks at it– anything I can add. They’re not far off, whatever I can bring, however it simply felt right.” New UCLA director of management Ken Niumatalolo spent 15 seasons as the head

coach at Navy. Andrew Bershaw/Icon Sportswire Throughout 15 seasons leading Navy, where he completed with a 109-83 record, Niumatalolo won six of 10 bowl games, both school records. No head coach had actually won 8 consecutive games in the Army-Navy series until Niumatalolo began his profession with that distinction(2008-15 ), and his 10 wins general likewise stands as the most in the history of the competition. Niumatalolo’s squads made the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, awarded every year to the military service academy team with the best regular-season record against the other 2 groups, a program-record six times. Niumatalolo also signed up with Wayne Hardin as the only Navy coaches to beat Notre Dame three times.The Midshipmen had actually had a hard time recently, though. They ended up with 4 or fewer wins 3 seasons in a row and were 2-5 versus both Army and Flying Force considering that 2016. Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk’s decision to fire Niumatalolo wasn’t completely unexpected, however it was the unceremonious method he picked to do it that sparked

backlash from former Navy players, coaches, donors and alumni. Niumatalolo told ESPN in December that he had actually asked Gladchuk to complete the staying year on his contract.Niumatalolo’s 2015 team won a program-record 11 games, an accomplishment later equaled in 2019, with both groups finishing in the top 20 of the final Associated Press Top 25

, something that hadn’t been done by a Navy group since 1963. Niumatalolo assisted the Midshipmen into the American Athletic Conference in 2015 and had immediate success, with the 2015 and 2019 groups connecting for first place in the West Division and the 2016 team winning the department outright.Just the second Polynesian head coach in FBS history and the first Samoan head coach at any level, Niumatalolo was selected to the inaugural class of the Polynesian Football Hall of Popularity in 2013.