San Jose State football is reportedly set to hire former Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo to lead its program, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN:
“Sources: San Jose State is targeting former Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo as the school’s next head coach. A deal should come together within the next 48 hours. Sources tell ESPN that Niumatalolo will not be running the triple option, which was his staple at Navy.”
Niumatalolo would be replacing former San Jose State football coach Brent Brennan. Brennan accepted the head coaching job at Arizona earlier this week to replace Jedd Fisch.
Brennan had previously interviewed for the opening a few years ago before they turned to Fisch as the choice. Brennan has been the head coach at San Jose State since 2017 and has turned that program around. He has compiled a 34-48 record but won seven games in three of the final four seasons, which is quite a feat considering where San Jose State football was before he came.
Niumatalolo was fired last month after Navy's double overtime loss to Army. The Midshipmen head coach was sitting in the locker room when Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk walked in and informed him of the news.
“First of all, we just got kicked in the gut,” Niumatalolo said. “I was a little bit numb prior to him saying that, so most of it I couldn't comprehend. I'm just like, ‘Chet, why don't you take some time to relax.' He said, ‘Well, it's been building up.'”
There's never an easy way for this process to play out, but this seems like the worst possible way it could have been handled, given the facts that Niumatalolo has been on the coaching staff since 2002- and that he's the winningest head coach in program history.
Now, Niumatalolo lands on his feet with San Jose State football.
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