Former colleagues, players and journalists comment on Ken Niumatalolo.
“The one person Niumatalolo never credits is Niumatalolo. Whenever Navy loses, the first words out of his mouth are directed at himself and at the opponent. ‘I didn’t have us ready to play today.’ Or, ‘We got outcoached, and that’s why we got outplayed.’ But the truth is, as much as the players deserve credit for all of Navy’s accomplishments, there are two men who made this happen: Paul Johnson and Niumatalolo. Bringing (Paul) Johnson back to Navy after the disastrous end to the Charlie Weatherbie era — the Mids were 0-10 in 2001 — was one of the two smartest decisions that Athletic Director Chet Gladchuk has made since he arrived in Annapolis that fall.