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The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in
NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athleti ...
FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision)
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football in the United States, American football rules first gained populari ...
. The Naval Academy completed its final season as an FBS independent school (not in a conference) in 2014, and became a single-sport member of the American Athletic Conference beginning in the 2015 season. The team is currently coached by Brian Newberry, who was promoted in 2022, following his stint as the Midshipmen defensive coordinator. Navy has 19 players and three coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame and won the
college football national championship A national championship in the highest level of college football in the United States, currently the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), is a designation awarded annually by various organizations to their selection of the best coll ...
in 1926 according to the
Boand Boann or Boand (modern Irish spelling: Bónn) is the Irish goddess of the River Boyne (the river-name now always in the nominalised dative/prepositional case, Bóinn), a river in Ireland's historical fifth province, Meath (from Middle Irish '' ...
and Houlgate poll systems. The 1910 team also was undefeated and unscored upon (the lone tie was a 0–0 game). The mascot is Bill the Goat. The three major service academies—Air Force, Army, and Navy—compete for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, which is awarded to the academy that defeats the others in football that year (or retained by the previous year's winner in the event of a three-way tie).


History


Early history (1879–1949)

The Naval Academy's football program is one of the nation's oldest, with its history dating back to 1879. There were two separate efforts to establish a Naval Academy football team in 1879. The first was guided by first-classman J.H. Robinson, who developed it as a training regiment to help keep the school's
baseball team Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
in shape. The team played the sport under rules that made it much closer to soccer, where the players were permitted only to kick the ball in order to advance it. Clary (1997), p. 9 The second effort, headed by first-classman
William John Maxwell William John Maxwell was a United States Navy officer who served as the 18th Naval Governor of Guam. He entered the United States Naval Academy in 1874, but was not commissioned as an ensign until 1883. He served aboard many ships before becoming ...
was more successful in its efforts. Maxwell met with two of his friends, Tunstall Smith and Henry Woods, who played for the Baltimore Athletic Club and officially challenged their team to a game with the Naval Academy. Clary (1997), p. 10 A team was formed from academy first-classmen, which Maxwell led as a manager, trainer, and captain. The team would wake up and practice before
reveille "Reveille" ( , ), called in French "Le Réveil" is a bugle call, trumpet call, drum, fife-and-drum or pipes call most often associated with the military; it is chiefly used to wake military personnel at sunrise. The name comes from (or ), the ...
and following drill and meals. The squad received encouragement from some of the faculty, who allowed them to eat a late dinner and skip final drill for additional practicing. This was against the direct orders of the school superintendent, who had banned football and similar activities. Clary (1965), p. 9 The year's sole contest was played on December 11 against the Baltimore Athletic Club. The opposition's team was reportedly composed of players from Princeton, Yale,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, and
Johns Hopkins Johns Hopkins (May 19, 1795 – December 24, 1873) was an American merchant, investor, and philanthropist. Born on a plantation, he left his home to start a career at the age of 17, and settled in Baltimore, Maryland where he remained for most ...
. Bealle (1951), p. 7 The Naval Academy hosted the Baltimore team on a temporary field drawn on part of the superintendent's cow pasture. Rules decided upon between the teams established that the game was to be played under rugby rules. The '' Baltimore American and Chronicle'', which covered the contest, described it as such: Patterson (2000), p. 21 The game, played under rugby rules, was a battle from beginning to enda regular knock down and drag out fight. Both sides became immediately excited and the audience was aroused to the highest pitch of enthusiasm by the spirited contest. The ball oscillated backward and forward over the ground without any material result. The scrimmages were something awful to witnessliving, kicking, scrambling masses of humanity surging to and fro, each individual after the leather oval. If a Baltimorean got the ball and started for a run, he was unfailingly caught by one of the brawny Cadets and dashed to earth with five or six men falling on him. The game was closely fought and was finally declared a scoreless tie by the referee about an hour after it began. Navy reportedly never gained possession of the ball. However, the Naval Academy managed to keep the Baltimore Athletic Club from ever being in a scoring position. On three separate occasions, Navy forced Baltimore back into its own
end zone The end zone is the scoring area on the field, according to gridiron-based codes of football. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field. ...
for a
safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are two slightly di ...
; these were not worth any points until 1882, however, so they offered Navy no benefit. The ''American and Chronicle'' reported that Maxwell, Craven, and Sample of Navy gave the strongest performances, but were also reckless in their play and were repeatedly penalized for jumping offside or kicking the ball out of play, a form of delay of game. Bealle (1951), p. 8 Clary (1997), p. 11 Some time after the game, Walter Camp, known as the "Father of American Football", credited Maxwell as the inventor of the first football uniform. After he was informed that the Baltimore team he was playing outweighed his by an average of ten pounds, Maxwell looked for a way to make the teams more evenly matched. Using his knowledge of sailing, he decided to design a sleeveless canvas jacket which would make his players "difficult to grasp when they began to sweat". Anderson (2004), "Chapter 10: The Game" He presented the design to the academy's tailor, who created the double-lined jackets which "were laced down the front and drawn tightly to fit snugly around a player's body". The weighted suits were worn by the team, which was confused by the "strangle, heavy, newfangled getups". The Naval Academy would not produce another football team until the 1882 season. The 1882 team would be the first with a coach, being supported by Academy officials. The 1879 season was the last time that a Navy squad would play the Baltimore Athletic Club. Navy would finish the 1880s with four winning seasons, and an overall record of 14–12–2, with one of those ties being the game against the Baltimore Athletic Club. Navy would outscore their opponents 292–231, and would finish the 19th century with an overall record of 54–19–3. The lack of a coach for the 1879 season was one of the two times the Naval Academy squad lacked one, the other time being from 1883 through 1891.
Frank Berrien Frank Dunn Berrien (August 17, 1877 January 31, 1951) was an American football coach and United States Navy officer. He was the 13th head football coach for the United States Naval Academy located in Annapolis, Maryland and he held that positio ...
served as Navy's head football coach from 1908 to 1910, compiling a record of 21–5–3. He was the thirteenth head coach of the Naval Academy's football program and, under his tutelage, the Midshipmen compiled an undefeated 8–0–1 mark in 1910. Three undefeated teams with nearly identical records would cause a stir among fans and pollsters today, but this was the case when Navy earned its lone national championship in 1926, as the Midshipmen shared the honor with Stanford and Alabama. A 7–7 tie between
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
and Stanford in the
1926 Rose Bowl The 1926 Rose Bowl Game was held on January 1, 1926, in Pasadena, California. The game is commonly referred to as "The Game That Changed The South." The game featured the Alabama Crimson Tide, making their first bowl appearance, and the Washington ...
gave Stanford a 10–0–1 mark, while the Crimson Tide and the Mids each had identical 9–0–1 records. The Midshipmen opened the '26 season with a new coach, Bill Ingram. A Navy football standout from 1916 through 1918, Ingram took over a Navy team that had only won seven games in the previous two seasons combined. One of the keys to Navy's 1926 squad was a potent offense led by All-America tackle and team captain Frank Wickhorst, who proved to be a punishing blocker for the Navy offense. One member of the Navy offense that appreciated the blocking of Wickhorst was Tom Hamilton. The quarterback and kicker had a pair of 100-yard rushing games en route to All-America honors. Navy's biggest win that year was against
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
in front of 80,000 fans in Baltimore. The Mids scored 10 second half points to upset the Wolverines, 10–0. Navy's offense tallied 165 yards behind the powering attack of Hamilton and Henry Caldwell who scored Navy's lone touchdown on a one-yard plunge. Jubilation from the victory continued after the game, as the Midshipmen tore down the goal post at each end of the field and carried away all the markers that lined both sides of the field. Navy headed into its season finale against
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
with a 9–0 record. The game was to be played in Chicago at
Soldier Field Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) since ...
, which had been built as a memorial to the men killed in
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
. It was only natural Army and Navy would be invited to play the inaugural contest there. James R. Harrison of the ''New York Times'' described the game as "''the greatest of its time and as a national spectacle.''" Over 110,000 people witnessed the Midshipmen open up a 14–0 lead on the Cadets, only to see Army fight back to take a 21-14 lead early in the third quarter. The Navy offense responded behind its strong ground game led by running back Alan Shapley. On fourth down and three yards to go, Shapley ran eight yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 21. As the final quarter concluded, Army mounted a brief threat only to miss a 25-yard field goal. The tie gave the Midshipmen a share of the national championship based on retroactive rankings by both the William Boand and Deke Houlgate mathematical poll systems. Navy was one of the very few programs to field a football team during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, with
John Whelchel John Esten "Billick" Whelchel (April 1, 1898 – November 5, 1973) was a decorated officer in the United States Navy with the rank of Vice Admiral, American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head foot ...
leading the Midshipmen from 1942 to 1943 and Oscar Hagberg serving as head coach from 1944 to 1945. During those years, three of the four Navy teams finished ranked in the top 10 of the final AP poll.
George Sauer George Henry Sauer Sr. (December 11, 1910 – February 5, 1994) was an American football player, coach, college sports administrator, and professional football executive. Career Sauer attended the University of Nebraska where he was an All-Amer ...
left his post as
Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...
head coach and took over in Annapolis from 1948 to 1949. The Midshipmen struggled under Sauer's tutelage, posting a 3–13–2 record which included a winless 1948 season.


Eddie Erdelatz era (1950–1958)

Eddie Erdelatz Edward J. Erdelatz (April 21, 1913 – November 10, 1966) was an American collegiate and professional football player and coach who served as head football coach of the U.S. Naval Academy for nine years. Erdelatz was also the first head coach of ...
returned to Navy, where he'd previously served as an assistant coach from 1945 to 1947, to take over a football program that had won just four games over the previous five seasons. In 1950, Erdelatz led an upset of arch-rival
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
. The Black Knights entered the game with an 8–0 record which had not lost in 28 contests. Army also had defeated Navy five times in the last six games. Although Navy had only a 2–6 record, an outstanding defensive effort resulted in a 14–2 victory for the Midshipmen. After two years at Navy, Erdelatz's record stood at 5–12–1, but he would never again have a losing season in his final seven seasons and would finish 5–3–1 in his games against Army. In 1954, the team finished 8–2, losing close games to
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
and Notre Dame. Erdelatz labeled this squad, "A Team Called Desire" and then went on to shut out Ole Miss in the 1955
Sugar Bowl The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed only ...
. Three years later, the Midshipmen competed in the
Cotton Bowl Classic The Cotton Bowl Classic (also known as the Cotton Bowl) is an American college football bowl game that has been held annually in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex since January 1, 1937. The game was originally played at its namesake stadium in ...
, where they knocked off
Rice University William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranke ...
, 20–7. The latter win came one year after Navy's bid to play in a bowl game was rejected despite having only one loss. After the bowl victory over Rice, Erdelatz was courted by other schools and nearly accepted the task of replacing
Bear Bryant Paul William "Bear" Bryant (September 11, 1913 – January 26, 1983) was an American college football player and coach. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, and best known as the head coach of ...
at
Texas A&M University Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M Unive ...
. After the 1958 season, he was also seen as a candidate for the NFL's
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's Nationa ...
head coaching job, but began spring practice the following year at Navy. On April 8, 1959, Erdelatz resigned as head coach of the Midshipmen, citing a number of factors, including the desire for an easier schedule.


Wayne Hardin era (1959–1964)

From 1959 to 1964,
Wayne Hardin Irving Wayne Hardin (March 23, 1926 – April 12, 2017) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the United States Naval Academy from 1959 to 1964 and at Temple University from 1970 to 1982, compiling a c ...
was the head coach at Navy, where he compiled a 38–22–2 record. His Navy teams posted five consecutive wins against archrival
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
, a feat not surpassed until 2007 when Paul Johnson's Navy squad won their sixth consecutive contest in the Army–Navy Game. Hardin coached Navy's two winners of the Heisman Trophy, Joe Bellino, who received the award in
1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...
, and Roger Staubach, who did so in 1963. Hardin was the first to coach an African-American player at Navy when
Dr. Calvin Huey Calvin Huey was the first African-American to play football at the United States Naval Academy, a doctor, coach, teacher, and businessman. History Huey was born October 27, 1942 in Sartinville, Mississippi to Harold Magee and Eartha Lee Huey. ...
earned a letter in 1964. Hardin resigned as Navy's head coach following a 3–6–1 record in 1964.


Bill Elias era (1965–1968)

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
head coach
Bill Elias William T. Elias (March 15, 1923 – June 28, 1998) was an American football coach. He served as the head coach at George Washington University, the University of Virginia, and the United States Naval Academy. Elias compiled a career college fo ...
replaced Hardin, and the Midshipmen struggled mightily under Elias' leadership. Elias' Midshipmen posted a 15–22–3 record in his four seasons, which included three non-winning seasons. Elias was fired following a 2–8 season in 1968.


Rick Forzano era (1969–1972)

Former UConn head coach Rick Forzano was hired as Elias' replacement in 1969. However, the Midshipmen's struggles continued, with Navy failing to post a single winning season, something that hadn't occurred in Annapolis in decades. Forzano's teams posted yearly records of 1–9, 2–9, 3–8 and 4–7. Forzano resigned after the 1972 season.


George Welsh era (1973–1981)

Penn State assistant coach and Navy alum George Welsh succeeded Forzano as Navy's head coach. He inherited a Navy Midshipmen football program that had only had one winning season since the days of Roger Staubach. He led the Midshipmen to three
bowl game In North America, a bowl game is one of a number of post-season college football games that are primarily played by teams belonging to the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). For most of its history, the Division I Bowl Subdivis ...
appearances and their first nine-win season in 16 years. In nine seasons, Welsh compiled a record of 55–46–1, making him the service academy's most successful coach. In 1982, Welsh left Navy to become the head coach at
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
.


Gary Tranquill era (1982–1986)

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...
offensive coordinator Gary Tranquill was hired as Welsh's replacement in 1982. Tranquill's Midshipmen compiled a 6–5 record in 1982, but it was downhill from there. 1983 saw a 3–8 record followed by back-to-back four-win seasons in 1984 and 1985. A 3–8 campaign in 1986 ended Tranquill's tenure at Navy as the school declined to renew his contract. One notable assistant coach during this time was
Nick Saban Nicholas Lou Saban Jr. (; born October 31, 1951) is an American football coach who has been the head football coach at the University of Alabama since 2007. Saban previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphi ...
, the head coach at Alabama.


Elliot Uzelac era (1987–1989)

Former Western Michigan head coach Elliot Uzelac was hired by Navy to serve as the school's 34th head football coach in 1987. Navy's struggles continued, with the Midshipmen posting records of 2–9 in 1987 followed by back-to-back 3–8 seasons in 1988 and 1989. Uzelac was fired following the 1989 season.


George Chaump era (1990–1994)

Marshall head coach George Chaump was hired as Uzelac's replacement in 1990. Chaump was unable to revive the Midshipmen football program, compiling a record of 14–41 in five seasons. Chaump's Midshipmen posted back-to-back 1–10 records in 1991 and 1992. Navy fired Chaump after the 1994 season in which the Midshipmen finished 3–8.


Charlie Weatherbie era (1995–2001)

Utah State Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public land-grant research university in Logan, Utah. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. With nearly 20,000 students living on or near campus, USU is Utah's ...
head coach
Charlie Weatherbie Charles Alvin Weatherbie (born January 17, 1955) is an American former gridiron football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Utah State University (1992–1994), the United States Naval Academy (1995–2001), and Louisiana M ...
was hired to replace Chaump in 1995. Under Weatherbie, Navy did have a couple of winning seasons, the first coming in 1996 with a record of 9–3 with a win in the
Aloha Bowl The Aloha Bowl was a National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Bowl Subdivision (then known as Division I-A) college football bowl game played in Honolulu, Hawaii at Aloha Stadium. History The Aloha Bowl was established in 1982 by Ma ...
. That was followed with a 7–4 campaign the following year. After that, however, Navy struggled, failing to post a record better than a 5–7 record. After a 1–10 season in 2000 followed by an 0–7 start to the 2001 season, Weatherbie was fired.


Paul Johnson era (2002–2007)

In 2002, Paul Johnson departed Georgia Southern and was hired as the 37th Navy head football coach. Johnson's initial season saw the Midshipmen win only two of 12 games, though the season ended on a high note with his first victory over
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
, which would not beat Navy again until 2016. Subsequently, Johnson's teams enjoyed a high degree of success. The 2003 team completed the regular season with an 8–4 mark, including wins over both
Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...
and Army, and earned a berth in the
Houston Bowl The Houston Bowl was an NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that was played annually in Houston, Texas, from 2000 to 2005. For its first two years, the game was known as the galleryfurniture.com Bowl, named for the website ...
, Navy's first bowl game since 1996. However, the Midshipmen lost to
Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...
, 38–14. In 2004, Johnson's team posted the program's best record since 1957, finishing the regular season at 9–2 and once again earning a bowl berth, this time in the
Emerald Bowl The San Francisco Bowl was an annual postseason college football bowl game certified by the NCAA and played in the San Francisco Bay Area. Originally named the Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl during its first two editions from 2002 to 2003, it ...
. There Johnson coached the Midshipmen to a win over
New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...
, 34–19, the fifth bowl win in the school's history. The win gave Navy 10 wins on the season, tying a school record that had stood since 1905. For his efforts, Johnson received the
Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award is an annual college football award given to the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision head coach whose team excels on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. The award is named for Bobby Dodd, ...
. The 2005 Navy squad recorded a mark of 8–4, highlighted by victories over Army,
Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...
, and Colorado State in the Poinsettia Bowl. In 2007, Johnson coached the Midshipmen to their first win over rival Notre Dame since 1963, winning 46–44 in triple-overtime. Navy finished the season with an 8–5 record. Johnson dominated the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy competition, going 11–1 (.917) in his six years, with the only loss against another service academy coming at the hands of Air Force in his first season. He was the first coach in Navy's history to go 6–0 in his first six seasons against Army (Ken Niumatalolo, who followed Johnson at Navy, went 8–0 against Army in his first eight seasons), and his 2006 senior class was the first in Navy history to win the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy all four of their years. Much of Johnson's success at Navy was predicated on his triple option
flexbone The flexbone formation is an offensive formation in American football that includes a quarterback, five offensive linemen, three running backs, and varying numbers of tight ends and wide receivers. The flexbone formation is a predominant turnove ...
offense, a run-oriented attack that led NCAA Division I-A/FBS football in rushing yards three of his last four years at Navy. Johnson departed Navy for the head coaching position at Georgia Tech after the end of the 2007 regular season.


Ken Niumatalolo era (2008–2022)

Ken Niumatalolo Kenneth Va'a Niumatalolo (born May 8, 1965) is an American football coach and former player. He is the former head coach of the Naval Academy from 2007 to 2022, accumulating the most wins in program history. Niumatalolo played college football at ...
was promoted from offensive line coach to head football coach of the Naval Academy football team on December 8, 2007 after Johnson's departure for Georgia Tech. Niumatalolo is the 38th head football coach in Naval Academy history. On January 7, 2009, Niumatalolo was given a contract extension, although terms and length of the extension were not released. With Niumatalolo as Navy's head coach, beginning with the 2008 season, the Mids have continued their run of success. Highlights in 2008 included an upset in
Winston-Salem Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in ...
over No. 16 Wake Forest, 24–17, the Mids' first victory over a ranked team in 23 years, and a 34–0 shutout victory of Army. In 2016, the Midshipmen upset 6th-ranked
Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 ...
at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium 46-40 for their first win over a team ranked in the top 10 since defeating
South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...
in 1984. Other highlights of Niumatalolo's years as head coach at Navy include: Navy defeated Army in each of Niumatalolo's first eight seasons as head coach, not losing to Army until 2016. The 2016 loss ended a streak of 14 Midshipmen wins in the Army–Navy Game, the longest winning streak for either side in the rivalry. The Midshipmen captured the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy in 2008, 2009 and 2012. They went on to capture the trophy outright in 2013, with a 34–7 win against Army, and recaptured it outright in 2015 with wins over Army and Air Force. The Midshipmen have nine winning seasons during Niumatalolo's 11 full years as head coach. The Mids have played in nine bowl games during Niumatalolo's tenure, winning the
2009 Texas Bowl The 2009 Texas Bowl was the fourth edition of the college football bowl game, and was played at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. The game started at 2:30 PM US CST on Thursday, December 31, 2009. The game was telecast on ESPN for the first ti ...
,
2013 Armed Forces Bowl The 2013 Armed Forces Bowl was an American college football bowl game that was played on December 30, 2013, at Amon G. Carter Stadium on the campus of Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. The eleventh edition of the Armed Forces B ...
,
2014 Poinsettia Bowl The 2014 Poinsettia Bowl was post-season American college football bowl game held on December 23, 2014, at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. The tenth edition of the Poinsettia Bowl pitted the Navy Midshipmen against the San Diego St ...
, and
2015 Military Bowl The 2015 Military Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game played on December 28, 2015 at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland. The eighth edition of the Military Bowl featured the Pittsburgh Panthers of ...
. Navy defeated longtime rival Notre Dame in consecutive years, 2009 and 2010, for the first time since the early 1960s. The Midshipmen also defeated Notre Dame in 2016, when the Midshipmen went on to finish with a 9–5 record. Niumatalolo led Navy into the American Athletic Conference after 134 years as an independent in 2015, the first time Navy joined a conference in the school's history. Following the 2022 campaign, Niumatalolo was fired following a loss to Army.


Brian Newberry era (2023–present)

Brian Newberry, who had served as defensive coordinator since 2019, was hired as the head coach on December 19, 2022.


Conference affiliations

* Independent (1879–2014) * American Athletic Conference (2015–present)


Championships


National championships

Three undefeated teams with nearly identical records would cause a stir among fans and pollsters today, but this was the case when Navy earned its lone national championship in 1926, as the Midshipmen shared the honor with Stanford and Alabama. A 7–7 tie between
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
and Stanford in the
1927 Rose Bowl The 1927 Rose Bowl Game was a college football bowl game held on January 1, 1927, in Pasadena, California. The game featured the Alabama Crimson Tide, of the Southern Conference, and Stanford, of the Pacific Coast Conference, now the Pac-12 Confer ...
gave Stanford a 10–0–1 mark, while the Crimson Tide and the Mids each had identical 9–0–1 records. The Midshipmen opened the '26 season with a new coach, Bill Ingram. A Navy football standout from 1916 through 1918, Ingram took over a Navy team that had only won seven games in the previous two seasons combined. One of the keys to Navy's 1926 squad was a potent offense led by All-America tackle and team captain Frank Wickhorst, who proved to be a punishing blocker for the Navy offense. One member of the Navy offense that appreciated the blocking of Wickhorst was Tom Hamilton. The quarterback and kicker had a pair of 100-yard rushing games en route to All-America honors. Navy's biggest win that year was against
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
in front of 80,000 fans in Baltimore. The Mids scored 10 second half points to upset the Wolverines, 10–0. Navy's offense tallied 165 yards behind the powering attack of Hamilton and Henry Caldwell who scored Navy's lone touchdown on a one-yard plunge. Jubilation from the victory continued after the game, as the Midshipmen tore down the goal post at each end of the field and carried away all the markers that lined both sides of the field. Navy headed into its season finale against
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
with a 9–0 record. The game was to be played in Chicago at
Soldier Field Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) since ...
, which had been built as a memorial to the men killed in
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
. It was only natural Army and Navy would be invited to play the inaugural contest there. James R. Harrison of the ''New York Times'' described the game as "''the greatest of its time and as a national spectacle.''" Over 110,000 people witnessed the Midshipmen open up a 14–0 lead on the Cadets, only to see Army fight back to take a 21–14 lead early in the third quarter. The Navy offense responded behind its strong ground game led by running back Alan Shapley. On fourth down and three yards to go, Shapley ran eight yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 21. As the final quarter concluded, Army mounted a brief threat only to miss a 25-yard field goal. The tie gave the Midshipmen a share of the national championship based on retroactive rankings by both the William Boand and Deke Houlgate mathematical poll systems.


Division championships

† Co-champions


Bowl games

Navy has participated in 24 bowl games, garnering a record of 12–11–1.


Head coaches

Brian Newberry became the head coach in 2023.


Rivalries


Army

The Army-Navy Game, played annually on the last weekend of the college football regular season in early December, pits the football teams of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York (Army) against the Navy Midshipmen. It is one of the most traditional and enduring rivalries in college football, and is televised every year by CBS. It was in the 1963 Army–Navy game that instant replay made its television debut. This game has always had inter-service "bragging rights" at stake; in past decades, when both Army and Navy were often national powers, the game occasionally had national championship implications. However, as top-level college football had developed and grown, the high academic entrance requirements, height and weight limits, and the military commitment required of West Point and Annapolis graduates has reduced the overall competitiveness of both academies in comparison with other football programs. The tradition of the game has ensured that it remains nationally televised to this day. One of the great appeals of this game to many fans is that its players are largely playing for the love of the game, since almost none will ever play in the NFL. The game is especially emotional for the seniors, called "first classmen" or "firsties" by both academies, since it is typically the last competitive football game they will ever play. During wartime, the game is even more emotional because some seniors may not return once they are deployed. For instance, in the 2004 game, at least one senior from the class of 2003 who was killed in Iraq, Navy's J. P. Blecksmith, was remembered. The players placed their comrade's pads and jerseys on chairs on the sidelines. Much of the sentiment of the game goes out to those who share the uniform and who are overseas. Army-Navy is played in early December, typically in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
. The game, however, has also been played in other locations such as New York,
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
,
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
, and Pasadena.


Air Force

The Commander-in-Chief's Trophy is awarded to each season's winner of the triangular college football series among the
United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...
(Army), the United States Naval Academy (Navy), and the United States Air Force Academy (Air Force). Navy controlled the trophy from 2003 to 2009, marking one of the longest times any academy has had possession of the prestigious trophy. Typically, the Navy–Air Force game is played in early October followed by Army-Navy in early December. When Navy has possession of the trophy, it is displayed in a glass case in Bancroft Hall, the Midshipmen's dormitory. Navy has won 16 Commander-in-Chief's Trophies (1973, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1981, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2019).


Notre Dame

Navy has played Notre Dame in 94 annual games without interruption since 1927 and trails in the series 13–80–1 thru the 2021 season. Notre Dame plays this game to repay Navy for helping to keep Notre Dame financially afloat during World War II. This series is scheduled to continue indefinitely. From 1963, when Navy beat Notre Dame 35–14, to 2006, Notre Dame won 43 consecutive games against Navy, the longest such streak in Division I-A football. This streak ended on November 3, 2007, when Navy beat Notre Dame 46–44 in triple overtime. Navy also bested Notre Dame in 2009 and 2010, which made the class of 2011 only the third class in Navy history to have beaten Notre Dame three times. Navy won 28-27 in 2016, making Coach Niumatalolo only the second coach in Navy history to defeat Notre Dame three times. When Navy is the home team for this game in even-numbered years, the Midshipmen have hosted the game off-campus at large stadiums used by NFL teams, usually FedExField in Landover, Maryland or M&T Bank Stadium in
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
. The Midshipmen have also hosted the Irish at John F. Kennedy Stadium and Veterans Stadium in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
.


Maryland

The intrastate rivalry between
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...
and Navy is referred to as the "
Crab Bowl Classic The Crab Bowl Classic is the name given to the Maryland–Navy football rivalry. It is an American college football rivalry between the Maryland Terrapins football team of the University of Maryland and the Navy Midshipmen football team of the ...
." Starting in 1905, the two teams have played sporadically over the years. Many of the early games were lopsided and Navy leads the series 14–7. In 2005, the teams renewed their rivalry and Maryland won, 23–20. The teams met again on Labor Day 2010 and Maryland won again, 17–14, after the Terps' goal-line stand with under a minute remaining. As of 2010, the winner of the Crab Bowl Classic is awarded the Crab Bowl Trophy, created by the Touchdown Club of Annapolis with underwriting from the D'Camera Group.


Rutgers

This rivalry stems from Navy and Rutgers being two of the only three programs (the third is Army) to come out of the original, informal "Ivy League" that are still members of the top tier of NCAA college football (Division I-FBS). Although the two teams only began a regular series relatively recently in 1995, the games between the two schools are often close and sometimes have controversy as in the 2004 and 2007 editions of the series. The rivalry dates to 1891, making the two schools each other's oldest active football rivals. The schools have met 25 times, with Rutgers leading the series at 13–11–1 all-time after the 2014 Navy loss. Navy and Rutgers have played most years since 1995, but do not have additional games scheduled at this time with Rutgers' move to the
Big Ten The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
and Navy's move from independents to the
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
.


SMU

The
Gansz Trophy The Gansz Trophy is awarded to the winner of the United States Naval Academy and Southern Methodist University rivalry football game. It was created in 2009 through a collaboration between the two athletic departments.Southern Methodist University , mottoeng = " The truth will make you free" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = SACS , academic_affiliations = , religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church , president = R. Gerald Turner , p ...
. The trophy is named for Frank Gansz who played linebacker at the Naval Academy from 1957 through 1959. Gansz later served on the coaching staffs at numerous colleges, including all three service academies and Southern Methodist, as well as several professional teams. The two teams have met 18 times with Navy leading the all-time series 11–7, and the trophy series 5–0.


Pittsburgh

Navy and
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
recently renewed their rivalry, which began in 1912, and was played 26 times in 29 years between 1961 and 1989. The contest was then played consecutively between 2007 and 2009 and again in 2013. After a 44–28 victory for Navy in the
2015 Military Bowl The 2015 Military Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game played on December 28, 2015 at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland. The eighth edition of the Military Bowl featured the Pittsburgh Panthers of ...
in Annapolis, the series now stands with Pitt leading 22–15–3. Of historic interest, it was during the Pitt-Navy game at Annapolis on October 23, 1976, that Pitt running back Tony Dorsett broke the NCAA career rushing record.


Individual award winners


Retired numbers


Heisman Trophy

* Joe Bellino – 1960 * Roger Staubach – 1963


Maxwell Award

* Ronald Beagle – 1954 * Bob Reifsnyder – 1957 * Joe Bellino – 1960 * Roger Staubach – 1963


Other awards

*
Percy Northcroft Percy Wilfred Northcroft (August 31, 1886 – December 20, 1967) was an American football player and Naval officer. He played tackle for the Navy Midshipmen football team from 1905 to 1908 and was selected as an All-American in 1906 and 1908. ...
All-American (1906, 1908) * Zerbin Singleton –
Disney's Wide World of Sports Spirit Award Disney's Wide World of Sports Spirit Award is presented annually to college football's most inspirational individual or team. The award is one of 21 that are part of the National College Football Awards Association The National College Football A ...
(2007) * Keenan Reynolds – James E. Sullivan Award (2016)


College Football Hall of Fame

Navy has 19 players and 3 coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame: * Players (Position, Years Players, Year Inducted, Other School Played at (if any)) **
Ron Beagle Ronald Beagle (February 7, 1934 – September 8, 2015) was an American football end. Beagle was born in Hartford, Connecticut but played high school football in Cincinnati. The 6 foot one inch, 185-pounder entered the United States Naval Academ ...
( End, 1953–55, 1986) College HOF Bio** Joe Bellino ( RB, 1958–60, 1977) College HOF Bio** Buzz Borries ( HB, 1932–34, 1960) College HOF Bio** George Brown ( G, 1942–43, 1947, 1985, San Diego State) College HOF Bio** John Brown (G / T, 1910–13, 1951) College HOF Bio** Slade Cutter (T, 1932–34, 1967) College HOF Bio** John Dalton (HB, 1908–11, 1970) College HOF Bio**
Dick Duden Henry Richard Duden, Jr. (November 24, 1924 – March 31, 2013) was an American football end in the National Football League for the New York Giants. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001 after a stellar college footb ...
(End, 1943–45, 2001) College HOF Bio** Steve Eisenhauer (T / G, 1951–53, 1994) College HOF Bio** Tom Hamilton (HB, 1924–26, 1965) College HOF Bio**
Jonas H. Ingram Admiral Jonas Howard Ingram (October 15, 1886 – September 9, 1952) was an officer in the United States Navy during World War I and World War II. He commanded the United States Atlantic Fleet during World War II and was a recipient of the Med ...
( FB, 1904, 1906, 1968) College HOF Bio** Napoleon McCallum ( RB, 1981–85, 2002) College HOF Bio**
Skip Minisi Anthony Salvatore "Skip" Minisi (September 18, 1926 – May 5, 2005) was an American football halfback in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1985 based on his co ...
(HB, 1944–47, 1985, Pennsylvania) College HOF Bio** Chet Moeller ( S, 1973–75, 2010) College HOF Bio** Bob Reifsnyder (T, 1956–58, 1997) College HOF Bio** Clyde Scott (HB, 1944–48, 1971, Arkansas) College HOF Bio** Dick Scott ( C, 1945–47, 1987) College HOF Bio** Roger Staubach ( QB, 1962–64, 1981) College HOF Bio** Don Whitmire (T, 1941–44, 1956, Alabama) College HOF Bio**
Frank Wickhorst Frank H. "Wick" Wickhorst (March 18, 1905 – September 13, 1972) was an American football player and coach. He played college football as a tackle at the United States Naval Academy and was selected as an All-American in 1926. Wickhorst ser ...
(T, 1924–26, 1970) College HOF Bio* Coaches (Year Inducted) **
Gil Dobie Robert Gilmour "Gloomy Gil" Dobie (January 21, 1878 – December 23, 1948) was an American football player and coach. Over a period of 33 years, he served as the head football coach at North Dakota Agricultural College (now North Dakota State ...
(1951) College HOF Bio** Bill Ingram (1973) College HOF Bio** George Welsh (2004) College HOF Bio**
Wayne Hardin Irving Wayne Hardin (March 23, 1926 – April 12, 2017) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the United States Naval Academy from 1959 to 1964 and at Temple University from 1970 to 1982, compiling a c ...
(2013) College HOF Bio


CoSIDA Academic All-Americans

-


National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame National Scholar-Athlete Awards

"The Most Prestigious Scholarships In College Football Since 1959" * Joe Ince – 1963 * Alan Roodhouse – 1965 * Daniel Pike – 1969 * Timothy Harden – 1974 * Theodore Dumbauld – 1980 * Carl C. Voss – 1991 * Terrence Anderson – 1999


Athletic Hall of Fame

For football players in the USNA Athletic Hall of Fame, see footnote. The Athletic Hall of Fame is housed in Lejeune Hall. Among the exhibits are two Heisman Trophies, won by Joe Bellino in 1960 and Roger Staubach in 1963.


Alumni


Facilities

* Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium * Ricketts Hall – This building contains the
locker room A locker is a small, usually narrow storage compartment. They are commonly found in dedicated cabinets, very often in large numbers, in various public places such as locker rooms, workplaces, elementary schools, middle and high schools, trans ...
for the varsity football team and offices for football, basketball, and lacrosse.See United States Naval Academy#Halls and principal buildings. It also contains the Jack Lengyel Sports Conditioning Facility, which is one of three "strength and conditioning facilities" at the academy. The weight-room facility serves football, men's lacrosse, baseball and wrestling.See Navy Midshipmen#Facilities. * Rip Miller Field – Named for Edgar Miller, who was the Navy head football coach for three seasons (1931–1933). The field is used by both lacrosse and
sprint football Sprint football, formerly called lightweight football, is a varsity sport played by United States colleges and universities, under standard American football rules. As of the 2022 season, the sport is governed by the Collegiate Sprint Football ...
. * Wesley Brown Field House – The field house has a full-length, , retractable Magic Carpet
AstroTurf AstroTurf is an American subsidiary of SportGroup that produces artificial turf for playing surfaces in sports. The original AstroTurf product was a short-pile synthetic turf invented in 1965 by Monsanto. Since the early 2000s, AstroTurf has ...
football field.


Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of February 22, 2022. # At MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford,
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...
. # At Lincoln Financial Field in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
. # At M&T Bank Stadium in
Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore wa ...
. # At Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland # At ''TBA''


References


External links

* {{American Athletic Conference football navbox 1879 establishments in Maryland American football teams established in 1879