Former Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo has a new job

Kelsey Dallas
·2 min read
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Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo looks on during game against Memphis, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in Annapolis, Md. On Friday, UCLA announced Niumatalolo is the Bruins’ new tight ends coach.
Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo looks on during game against Memphis, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in Annapolis, Md. On Friday, UCLA announced Niumatalolo is the Bruins’ new tight ends coach. | Nick Wass, Associated Press

Less than a year after joining the UCLA football program in an advising role, Ken Niumatalolo is becoming a coach once again.

The former Navy head coach has been hired as the Bruins’ tight ends coach, UCLA announced Friday.

“Ken is a tremendous example for our program off the field through his character and experiences at the Naval Academy,” said UCLA head coach Chip Kelly in a statement. “We are thrilled with the opportunity to add his knowledge and leadership to our tight ends room and coaching staff.”

Niumatalolo is already a familiar face in the tight ends room since he helped the position group prepare for December’s LA Bowl against Boise State. The Bruins won 35-22 thanks, in part, to a touchdown from tight end Hudson Habermehl.

Why did Ken Niumatalolo leave Navy?

Before joining the UCLA football staff, Niumatalolo spent 25 years in Annapolis, Maryland, with the Navy football program, including 15 years as head coach.

He is “the winningest coach in Navy history, with a 109-83 record over 15 years,” according to The Athletic.

But after three straight losing seasons, Niumatalolo was fired in December 2022.

The decision was controversial and nearly 5,000 fans signed a petition asking the school to keep the coach and fire Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk instead.

Niumatalolo later told The Athletic that he has no ill will for the program.

“I love the school, love the brotherhood, guys on the staff. When you’re at a place 25 years, you know everyone in the school and the community,” he said.

He told The Athletic that he could see himself being a head football coach again someday.

“I want to give it one more shot,” he said.

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Where is Ken Niumatalolo now?

Before becoming a coach, Niumatalolo played college football for Hawaii, which is also where he grew up.

He was only the second Polynesian head coach in FBS history and the first of Samoan descent, according to UCLA’s press release.

As of June 2023, one of Niumatalolo’s three kids lived in Hawaii, which helps explain why he spent time there after he lost his Navy job.

“A couple months being at home allowed me to see where I was,” he told The Athletic.

Now, Niumatalolo is committed to be in Los Angeles for at least another season and committed to helping UCLA transition to the Big Ten.

The Bruins finished their final season in the Pac-12 with an 8-5 record, which was good for seventh in the conference.