UCLA hires former Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo as new director of leadership
UCLA has hired former Navy head coach and three-time AAC Coach of the Year Ken Niumatalolo as its director of leadership.
In the role, Niumatalolo will be an advisor to both players on the Bruins and the coaching staff, including head coach Chip Kelly.
Niumatalolo spent 15 seasons as the head coach of the Midshipmen before being fired at the end of the 2022 season. He was 109–83 during his tenure, winning six bowl games and finishing the season ranked in the top 25 twice.
The 57-year-old coach went to college at Hawaii, where he was a starting quarterback for the team. He later served as an assistant coach for the Rainbow Warriors as well as UNLV.
Most importantly to Navy fans, he won 10 Army-Navy games, the most of any head coach in the rivalry’s history.
Ken Niumatalolo joins his son on UCLA’s staff
Ken Niumatalolo is the second member of his family on the UCLA staff after his son, Ali’i Niumatalolo. Ali’i Niumatalolo was hired this year as a graduate assistant coaching the offensive line for the Bruins.
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He previously was a tight end at Utah. Niumatalolo played in 46 games as a reserve for the Utes.
The two join a UCLA program that has some momentum heading into the 2023 season.
The Bruins finished the 2022 season with a 9-4 record, its best record under Chip Kelly. Kelly is entering his sixth season at UCLA and has had a winning season that past two years.
The Bruins also landed their top commit in the Kelly era in Dante Moore. Moore, a five-star quarterback out of Detroit Martin Luther King, is the No. 3 overall recruit and No. 2 quarterback in the 2023 On3 Industry Ranking.
The On3 Industry is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four major recruiting media services. The On3 Industry Ranking is the most advanced, complete and unbiased rating and ranking measurement in the industry.