Obligatory Army/Navy Game post. Got to say, not feeling a lot of confidence in Army Football this year.
After 15 seasons, Naval Academy’s winningest football coach is relieved of duty
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Vegas agrees with you. Army +2.5 right now.
Fun game, big Army win!
Blizzard
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Hellufa game! What a crazy finish.
Wow. Navy fired their head coach after (not because of... I think...) the Army loss: Navy fires head coach Ken Niumatalolo after 15 seasons.
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Devildoc
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That's going over like a turd in a punchbowl. He is very well liked and has run a good program.
ThunderHorse
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He held on there too long, probably should have taken the BYU job before Sitake.
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Navy hasn't been very good for a while. They're 4 - 8. They've won 4 or fewer games 3 consecutive seasons but had losing seasons even beyond that. Maybe more importantly, he's only 2 - 5 against both Army and Air Force the past 7 meet ups. So, probably not a huge surprise. That would end most coaches.
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Navy treats its relieved coaches no better than it’s relieved officers…
Ex-Navy head coach says he was fired in locker room after loss to Army
The Naval Academy didn’t wait long to fire its head football coach after losing 20-17 in double overtime against its rivals from West Point.
Ken Niumatalolo, who helmed the Midshipmen for 15 seasons and became the winningest coach in Navy’s program history, was reportedly sitting alone in the locker room after the game on Saturday when the school’s athletic director Chet Gladchuk walked in and told him he was fired.
“First of all, we just got kicked in the gut,” Niumatalolo told ESPN. “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.’”
How did this conversation end up in the Dot thread? Somebody should do something about this…
He'll go to a school with a legit football program and do well.
ThunderHorse
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This is a game where I wish both schools lose. But holy shit that's fucked.
I saw an article earlier this evening that some of Navy's alumni have started a petition to get the athletic director who fired the coach, canned.
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Out of general curiosity, is it because they disagreed with the firing or because of how it was done?
It appears to be both.
The guy had to know that his job was in jeopardy after several losing seasons and a couple of losses to Army. But to fire the guy, in the locker room, after a heartbreaking double-OT loss? Dude, yeah, that's SUPER shitty. Could have kept that shit until Monday. Or even after Winter Break. Could have set something up to allow him to leave honorably, even allow him to resign on his own.
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Slight thread drift, and I admittedly don’t follow college FB and barely the NFL now, but why is this even a thing.
Lawmakers rush to find an opening for Army star blocked from NFL
Letting this dude go the the NFL and “defer his service” which we all know won’t happen, seems like a bad precedent to send.
Similar to an SOF selection process, didn’t he take a slot that could have gone to a kid who planned to finish school and then do his time?
What confuses me is that his FB Coach (From Army) is advocating for him; so maybe I’m missing something?
Lawmakers rush to find an opening for Army star blocked from NFL
Letting this dude go the the NFL and “defer his service” which we all know won’t happen, seems like a bad precedent to send.
Similar to an SOF selection process, didn’t he take a slot that could have gone to a kid who planned to finish school and then do his time?
What confuses me is that his FB Coach (From Army) is advocating for him; so maybe I’m missing something?
I don't think anyone should get a waiver from any of the Academies, for any purpose, for doing anything after graduation other than going straight into their branch prep programs and to a unit. This includes the "world class athlete" programs and the Olympics. Follow through on your commitments.
I think the precedent was set by Napolean McCallum, who was allowed to play in the NFL before completing his commitment...and Dave Robinson went to the NBA without serving, if I recall...the coach is advocating for him because it will make it easier for him to get higher quality athletes if they think they have a reasonable shot at playing professionally after they graduate...that's what the cynic in me says, anyway...
That's exactly right. It's also prestigious for the Academies to have professional players (and to have Rhodes scholars, etc.), which is another reason they want it. But as we all know, that's not why the Academies exist.
I think the precedent also exists for people to go into the Army and then play football. Alex Villanueva and Nate Boyer are examples.
