Navy has promoted defensive coordinator Brian Newberry to head football coach, the athletic department announced Monday.
Newberry, 48, replaces Ken Niumatalolo, who was fired the day after the Army-Navy Game Dec. 10. Niumatalolo was Navy's all-time winningest coach with a 109-83 career record over 15 seasons.
The hiring was announced just after noon when Navy athletics issued a news release. A news conference has been scheduled for Tuesday to introduce Newberry as the 40th football coach in program history.
“Coach Newberry is respected and was highly endorsed by many within the Navy football family,” Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk said in a statement. “Brian is organized, innovative, intelligent, inspirational and brings an expectation of competitive toughness that has made Navy one of the top defensive units in the nation.”
Gladchuk said Newberry's experience at numerous civilian schools, along with the four years at the Naval Academy, enabled him to “create a vision for Navy football that is all-encompassing and very logical as it pertains to the way ahead.”
Newberry, in a statement, thanked Gladchuk and Vice Adm. Sean Buck, the Naval Academy superintendent, for showing confidence in him and providing “this incredible opportunity.” Newberry also thanked Niumatalolo for “taking a chance on me” four years ago.
“It is a great honor and privilege to lead this program. It is a great…
