The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of ...
in
NCAA Division I FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision)
college football. 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
The American Athletic Conference (The American or AAC) is an American collegiate athletic conference, featuring 11 member universities and five affiliate member universities that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA ...
beginning in the 2015 season. The team is currently coached by
Brian Newberry
Brian C. Newberry (born December 10, 1971) is an American politician and a Republican member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives representing District 48 since January 2009.
Education
Newberry graduated from the University of Pennsylva ...
, 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 in 1926 according to the
Boand 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 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 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 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, Ma ...
, 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 for a
safety; 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 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 Washingto ...
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 U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
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, 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 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 left his post as
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to ...
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 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
Notre Dame, French for "Our Lady", a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, most commonly refers to:
* Notre-Dame de Paris, a cathedral in Paris, France
* University of Notre Dame, a university in Indiana, United States
** Notre Dame Fighting Irish, th ...
. 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 on ...
. 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, 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. After the 1958 season, he was also seen as a candidate for the
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
'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 National ...
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 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, and
Roger Staubach, who did so in
1963. Hardin was the first to coach an African-American player at Navy when
Dr. Calvin 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 East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...
head coach
Bill Elias 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 Subdivi ...
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 East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...
.
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, 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 head coach
Charlie Weatherbie 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. 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 and Army, and earned a berth in the
Houston Bowl, Navy's first bowl game since 1996. However, the Midshipmen lost to
Texas Tech, 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 2005 Navy squad recorded a mark of 8–4, highlighted by victories over Army,
Air Force, and
Colorado State in the
Poinsettia Bowl.
In 2007, Johnson coached the Midshipmen to their first win over rival
Notre Dame
Notre Dame, French for "Our Lady", a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, most commonly refers to:
* Notre-Dame de Paris, a cathedral in Paris, France
* University of Notre Dame, a university in Indiana, United States
** Notre Dame Fighting Irish, th ...
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 turn ...
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 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 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 List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in Texas, the Southern United States#Major cities, most populous city in the Southern United States, the List of United States cities by population, fourth-most pop ...
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 = G ...
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,
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 State ...
, 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 o ...
. 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
The American Athletic Conference (The American or AAC) is an American collegiate athletic conference, featuring 11 member universities and five affiliate member universities that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA ...
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
Brian C. Newberry (born December 10, 1971) is an American politician and a Republican member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives representing District 48 since January 2009.
Education
Newberry graduated from the University of Pennsylva ...
, 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
The American Athletic Conference (The American or AAC) is an American collegiate athletic conference, featuring 11 member universities and five affiliate member universities that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA ...
(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 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 U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
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, 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
Brian C. Newberry (born December 10, 1971) is an American politician and a Republican member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives representing District 48 since January 2009.
Education
Newberry graduated from the University of Pennsylva ...
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
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...
at
West Point, New York
West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. Located on the Hudson River in New York (state), New York, West Point was identified by General George Washington as the most important strategic position in Ameri ...
(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
James Patrick Blecksmith (September 26, 1980 – November 11, 2004) was an American military officer who was the first officer killed in Operation Phantom Fury during Operation Iraqi Freedom II.
Biography
Blecksmith was born in Pasadena, Calif ...
, 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. Sinc ...
. The game, however, has also been played in other locations such as
New York,
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
,
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 (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
Notre Dame, French for "Our Lady", a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, most commonly refers to:
* Notre-Dame de Paris, a cathedral in Paris, France
* University of Notre Dame, a university in Indiana, United States
** Notre Dame Fighting Irish, th ...
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
Won may refer to:
*The Korean won from 1902–1910
*South Korean won, the currency of the Republic of Korea
*North Korean won, the currency of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
* Won (Korean surname)
* Won (Korean given name)
* Won Buddhis ...
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
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
teams, usually
FedExField in
Landover, Maryland or
M&T Bank Stadium
M&T Bank Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). The stadium is immediately adjacent to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the home of th ...
in
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
.
The Midshipmen have also hosted the Irish at
John F. Kennedy Stadium and
Veterans Stadium
Veterans Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, at the northeast corner of Broad Street (Philadelphia), Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. The seating capa ...
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. Sinc ...
.
Maryland
The intrastate rivalry between
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), 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 Navy is referred to as the "
Crab Bowl Classic." 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
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 t ...
, 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 and Navy's move from independents to the
American.
SMU
The
Gansz Trophy was created in 2009 through a collaboration between the athletic departments of the Naval Academy and
Southern Methodist University. 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 o ...
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
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 Academy ...
– 1954
*
Bob Reifsnyder – 1957
*
Joe Bellino – 1960
*
Roger Staubach – 1963
Other awards
*
Percy Northcroft –
All-American (1906, 1908)
* Zerbin Singleton –
Disney's Wide World of Sports Spirit Award (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 (
End, 1953–55, 1986)
College HOF Bio
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering v ...
**
Joe Bellino (
RB, 1958–60, 1977)
College HOF Bio
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering v ...
**
Buzz Borries (
HB, 1932–34, 1960)
College HOF Bio
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering v ...
**
George Brown (
G, 1942–43, 1947, 1985, San Diego State)
College HOF Bio
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering v ...
**
John Brown (G /
T, 1910–13, 1951)
College HOF Bio
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering v ...
**
Slade Cutter
Slade Deville Cutter (November 1, 1911 – June 9, 2005) was a career U.S. naval officer who was awarded four Navy Crosses and tied for second place for Japanese ships sunk in World War II. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy a ...
(T, 1932–34, 1967)
College HOF Bio
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering v ...
**
John Dalton (HB, 1908–11, 1970)
College HOF Bio
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering v ...
**
Dick Duden (End, 1943–45, 2001)
College HOF Bio
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering v ...
**
Steve Eisenhauer
Steve Eisenhauer (December 1, 1931 – May 1, 2016) was a former American football player. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college ...
(T / G, 1951–53, 1994)
College HOF Bio
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering v ...
**
Tom Hamilton (HB, 1924–26, 1965)
College HOF Bio
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering v ...
**
Jonas H. Ingram (
FB, 1904, 1906, 1968)
College HOF Bio
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering v ...
**
Napoleon McCallum (
RB, 1981–85, 2002)
College HOF Bio
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering v ...
**
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 coll ...
(HB, 1944–47, 1985, Pennsylvania)
College HOF Bio
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering v ...
**
Chet Moeller (
S, 1973–75, 2010)
College HOF Bio
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering v ...
**
Bob Reifsnyder (T, 1956–58, 1997)
College HOF Bio
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering v ...
**
Clyde Scott (HB, 1944–48, 1971, Arkansas)
College HOF Bio
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering v ...
**
Dick Scott (
C, 1945–47, 1987)
College HOF Bio
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering v ...
**
Roger Staubach (
QB, 1962–64, 1981)
College HOF Bio
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering v ...
**
Don Whitmire (T, 1941–44, 1956, Alabama)
College HOF Bio
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering v ...
**
Frank Wickhorst (T, 1924–26, 1970)
College HOF Bio
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering v ...
* Coaches (Year Inducted)
**
Gil Dobie (1951)
College HOF Bio
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering v ...
**
Bill Ingram (1973)
College HOF Bio
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering v ...
**
George Welsh (2004)
College HOF Bio
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering v ...
**
Wayne Hardin (2013)
College HOF Bio
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering v ...
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 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.
*
Wesley Brown Field House – The field house has a
full-length, , retractable Magic Carpet
AstroTurf 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 U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...
.
# 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. Sinc ...
,
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, Ma ...
.
# At
M&T Bank Stadium
M&T Bank Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). The stadium is immediately adjacent to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the home of th ...
in
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
.
# At
Aviva Stadium in
Dublin, Ireland
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
# At ''TBA''
References
External links
*
{{American Athletic Conference football navbox
1879 establishments in Maryland
American football teams established in 1879