Difference between revisions of "Ken Niumatalolo"

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Kenneth Va’a Niumatalolo is an American football player and coach. He is currently head football coach at the United States Naval Academy. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was one of the six members of the Church profiled in the documentary film "Meet the Mormons" that was released in October 2014.

Born May 8, 1965, Niumatalolo is a native of Laie, Hawaii, and graduated from the University of Hawaii in 1989. After serving as a Spanish-speaking missionary in California for two years, he returned to the university as a sophomore and lettered as a quarterback for three years. He was part of Hawaii’s first bowl team in 1989. He was hired as a graduate assistant and then full-time assistant at the University of Hawaii. When his Hawaii coach Paul Johnson went to Navy to become the offensive coordinator, Niumatalolo became Johnson’s running back coach. A year later, Niumatalolo took Johnson’s position at Navy when Johnson left for Georgia Southern University. Niumatalolo left Navy to take a position with UNLV for three seasons, then returned to Navy in 2002 when Johnson, now back at Navy, hired him. He was assistant head coach and offensive line coach for six years.

Niumatalolo was appointed head coach in December 2007. In his first staff meeting, he announced that the team would cease holding formal meetings on Sundays. He won the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy in his first two years as head coach at Navy. He won the trophy for the ninth time in 2013 (within 11 years). During his first six years as head coach, the Midshipmen have had five winning seasons and have played in five bowl games. They won the 2009 Texas Bowl and the 2013 Armed Forces Bowl. His 49 wins are the most in school history by a coach in his first six years.

In December 2016, Niumatalolo was named the American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season. He led the Midshipmen to a 7-1 conference record in 2016, taking the West Division title and earning a spot in the December 3 conference championship game.

He is the first Samoan collegiate head coach on any level. He was inducted into the inaugural class of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame in January 2014.

Niumatalolo and his wife, Barbara, are the parents of three children. They live in Annapolis, Maryland.

In January 2019, Elder Kevin S. Hamilton, a General Authority Seventy, extended a call to Niumatalolo call to become the president of the Annapolis Maryland Stake.

The call occurred just weeks after Navy wrapped up a disappointing 2018 campaign. As the service academy’s all-time winningest football coach, Niumatalolo had grown accustomed to winning. He had led his team to bowl games, been welcomed to the White House, gleaned coaching honors and—most importantly to Navy fans—beat Army multiple times.

But the Midshipmen uncharacteristically dropped 10 games in 2018, including a season-ending loss to the Army Black Knights.

“The difficulty of the season caused me to get on my knees and ask the Lord, ‘What’s going on?’”

Praying for coaching direction was nothing new. He had often petitioned God for direction as he prepped for games, recruited athletes and worked with his players and staff.

“But this seemed like the first time that I was not receiving anything,” he said. “I think the Lord just tested me to see where my faith was. It caused me to get on my knees even more. It caused me to ponder more and read my scriptures.”

He also devoured the words of Latter-day prophets during the most challenging and confounding moments of the season. Listening and re-listening to recorded general conference talks delivered by President Thomas S. Monson, President Russell M. Nelson, President Henry B. Eyring and other apostles eased the tumult of the moment.

Personal growth was happening even amid professional strife—readying the coach for an unexpected call to preside over a stake even while directing one of the country’s most storied football programs.

So when Elder Hamilton asked about his relationship with Christ, “I realized that I was the closest that I had ever been to the Savior. I realized it was all in preparation . . . . I had to get on my knees, pray and hear the things that were important to me.

“Looking back, it’s amazing to see God’s hand.”[1]

• Meet the Mormons