Navy Midshipmen

Navy Midshipmen football
Current season: 2023 Navy Midshipmen
First season	1879
Athletic director	Chet Gladchuk Jr.
Head coach	Brian Newberry
	1st year, 0–0 (.000)
Home stadium	Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
Stadium capacity	34,000
Stadium surface	FieldTurf
Location	Annapolis, Maryland, U.S.
Conference	American Athletic Conference (AAC)
Division	West
All-time history
All-time record	733–593–57 (.551)
Postseason bowl record	12–11–1 (.521)
Claimed national titles	1 (1926)
Division titles	3
Rivalries	Army (rivalry) Air Force (rivalry) Johns Hopkins (rivalry) Notre Dame (rivalry) Maryland (rivalry) SMU (rivalry)
Heisman winners	2
Consensus All-Americans	23
Current uniform
Colors	Navy Blue and Gold
Fight song	Anchors Aweigh
Mascot	Bill the Goat
Marching band	United States Naval Academy Drum and Bugle Corps
Outfitter	Under Armour
Website	NavySports.com

The Navy Midshipmen represent the United States Naval Academy in NCAA FBS level play. The Midshipmen play their home games at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland and are currently coached by Brian Newberry, who was promoted in 2022. In 2015, Navy joined the American Athletic Conference as a football-only member. Navy has 19 players and 3 coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame and won the National Championship in 1926 according to the Boand and Houlgate poll systems. The 1910 team also was undefeated and unscored upon (the lone tie being a 0–0 tie). The mascot is Bill the Goat.

Rivalries

Army

• Main article: Army-Navy Game

The Army–Navy Game, an annual game generally played on the last weekend of the college football regular season in early December, pits the football teams of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York (Army) and United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland (Navy) against one another. 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 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 has developed into primarily a training ground for the National Football League (NFL), 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 fact, only once in the last 40 years have both Army and Navy entered the game with winning records (1996).

While Navy has had a resurgence in recent years, Army is no longer nationally competitive on a regular basis, however, 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" by both academies, since it is typically the last competitive football game they will ever play. However, Navy went to a bowl game every year from 2003 until 2010, Army had a chance to become bowl eligible with a victory in the 2009 contest (which they did not get), and both teams entered the game with a winning record in 2010. In fact, 2011 marked the first time in several seasons that neither Army nor Navy were either bowl eligible or could have qualified with a victory.

During wartime the game is even more emotional because some seniors will 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.

Commander-in-Chief's Trophy

File:CIC-Trophy-382x459.jpg

The Navy side of the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy

File:2005 Army Navy Game Winners.jpg

Navy celebrates winning the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy after winning the 2005 Army–Navy Game on December 3, 2005.

• Main article: Commander-in-Chief's Trophy

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). In the event of a tie the award is shared, but the previous winner retains the trophy. Navy controlled the trophy from 2003 to 2010, marking one of the longest times any academy has had possession of the prestigious trophy.

First awarded in 1972. the Commander-in-Chief's trophy was the idea of Air Force General George B. Simler, the commander of Air Training Command and former Air Force Academy athletic director; who felt the need for such a trophy as a means to ensure the Air Force games played against traditional rivals Army and Navy were given some meaning at least slightly more significant than all other normal collegiate opponents that those two storied programs were to play on any given Saturday.

Typically, the Navy–Air Force game is played in early October, the Army–Air Force game is played in mid-November, and the most significant game, between Army and Navy is played in early December, typically in Philadelphia. The game, however, has also been played in such locations as New York, Baltimore, Chicago and Pasadena.

When Navy has possession of the trophy, it is displayed in a glass case in Bancroft Hall, the Midshipmens' dormitory.

Notre Dame

See also: Notre Dame Fighting Irish rivalries#Navy

Navy has played Notre Dame, also an independent, in 84 annual games without interruption since 1927 with a record of 12–71–1. 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 1-A football. This streak ended on November 3, 2007, when Navy beat Notre Dame 46–44 in triple overtime. 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. In 2008, while the Midshipmen had the opportunity to pull another victory at the end, however the game ended in a 27-21 victory for Notre Dame. On November 7, 2009 Navy played an inspired game and upset the #22 ranked Irish 23 to 21 in South Bend. This was Navy's 2nd win in 3 years, marking a turning point in the rivalry, whereby Navy is once again competitive with Notre Dame. Navy again bested Notre Dame 35-17 at the New Meadowlands stadium on October 23, 2010, making the class of 2011 only the third class in Navy history to have beaten Notre Dame 3 times.

When Navy is the home team for this game in even-numbered years, the Midshipmen host the game off-campus at large stadiums used by NFL teams, usually FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland or M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. The Midshipmen have also hosted the Irish at John F. Kennedy Stadium and Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.

Maryland

File:2005 USNA UMD line.jpg

A snap during the 2005 Navy-Maryland game.

See also: Maryland-Navy rivalry

The intrastate rivalry between Maryland 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 lop-sided and Navy leads the series 14–7. In 2005, the two 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.

Crab Bowl trophy

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 (currently Division I-FBS). (See Before There Was An Ivy League and Ivy League#History of the athletic league.) 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 24 times, with Rutgers leading the series at 12–11–1 all time after the 2011 Navy loss. Army is Rutgers' second oldest active rivalry. Navy and Rutgers have played every year since 1995 with the exception of 2002 and are currently scheduled through at least 2014, with the exception of 2009 and 2010.

SMU

The Gansz Trophy was created in 2009 through a collaboration between the athletic departments of The United States 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 15 times with Navy leading the all-time series 8-7, and the trophy series 2-0.

1926 national championship

File:1926 Navy National Championship Team.JPG

1926 national championship team

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 and Stanford in the 1926 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 former Navy standout from 1916–1918, 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 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 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. 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.

Logos/Uniforms

Image gallery

Bowl results

Season	Bowl game	Opponent	Result	Note(s)
1924	Rose Bowl	Washington	T 14–14
1955	Sugar Bowl	Mississippi	W 21–0	"Team Named Desire"
1957	Cotton Bowl	Rice	W 20–7
1960	Orange Bowl	Missouri	L 14–24	Heisman Trophy winner, RB Joe Bellino
1963	Cotton Bowl	Texas	L 6–28	Texas ranked #1, Navy #2
1978	Holiday Bowl	BYU	W 23–16	Inaugural Holiday Bowl, Navy ranked #17 in final UPI Poll
1980	Garden State Bowl	Houston	L 0–35
1981	Liberty Bowl	Ohio State	L 28–31
1996	Aloha Bowl	California	W 43–38
2003	Houston Bowl	Texas Tech	L 14–38
2004	Emerald Bowl	New Mexico	W 34–19	Navy ranked #24 in final poll (AP and Coaches')
2005	Poinsettia Bowl	Colorado State	W 51–30	Inaugural Poinsettia Bowl
2006	Meineke Car Care Bowl	Boston College	L 24–25
2007	Poinsettia Bowl	Utah	L 32–35
2008	EagleBank Bowl	Wake Forest	L 19–29	Inaugural EagleBank Bowl
2009	Texas Bowl	Missouri	W 35–13
2010	Poinsettia Bowl	San Diego State	L 14–35
2012	Ken Niumatalolo	Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl	Arizona State	L 28–62
2013	Ken Niumatalolo	Armed Forces Bowl	Middle Tennessee	W 24–6
2014	Ken Niumatalolo	Poinsettia Bowl	San Diego State	W 17–16
2015	Ken Niumatalolo	Military Bowl	Pittsburgh	W 44–28
2016	Ken Niumatalolo	Armed Forces Bowl	Louisiana Tech	L 45–48
2017	Ken Niumatalolo	Military Bowl	Virginia	W 49–7
2019	Ken Niumatalolo	Liberty Bowl	Kansas State	W 20–17
17 Bowl Games (Won 12, Lost 11, Tied 1)

Coaches

The current coach is Ken Niumatalolo.

Navy Coaches, by year, through September 3, 2011

Coach (Alma Mater)	Seasons	Years	Games	W	L	T	Pct.
Vauix Carter	1	1882	1	1	0	0	1.000
Ben Crosby (Yale)	1	1892	7	5	2	0	.714
Josh Hartwell (Yale)	1	1893	8	5	3	0	.625
Bill Wurtenburg (Yale)	1	1894	7	4	1	2	.714
Matt McClung (Lehigh)	1	1895	7	5	2	0	.714
Johnny Poe (Princeton)	1	1896	8	5	3	0	.625
Bill Armstrong (Yale)	3	1897-99	25	19	5	1	.780
Garrett Cochran (Princeton)	1	1900	9	6	3	0	.667
Doc Hillebrand (Princeton)	2	1901-02	21	8	11	2	.429
Burr Chamberlain (Yale)	1	1903	12	4	7	1	.375
Paul Dashiell (Lehigh)	3	1904	34	25	5	4	.794
Joe Reeves (USNA)	1	1907	12	9	2	1	.741
Frank Berrien (USNA)	3	1908-10	29	21	5	3	.776
Doug Howard (USNA)	4	1911-14	36	25	7	4	.750
Jonas H. Ingram (USNA)	2	1915-16	19	9	8	2	.526
Gil Dobie (Minnesota)	3	1917-19	20	17	3	0	.850
Bob Folwell (Penn)	5	1920-24	38	24	12	2	.658
Jack Owsley (Yale)	1	1925	8	5	2	1	.688
Bill Ingram (USNA)	5	1926-30	49	32	13	4	.694
Rip Miller (Notre Dame)	3	1931-33	29	12	15	2	.448
Tom Hamilton (USNA)	5	1934-36, 46-47	45	21	23	1	.478
Hank Hardwick (USNA)	2	1937-38	18	8	7	3	.528
Swede Larson (USNA)	3	1939-41	27	16	8	3	.648
Billick Whelchel (USNA)	2	1942-43	18	13	5	0	.722
Oscar Hagberg (USNA)	2	1944-45	18	13	4	1	.750
George Sauer (Nebraska)	2	1948-49	18	3	13	2	.222
Eddie Erdelatz (St. Mary's)	9	1950-58	84	50	26	8	.643
Wayne Hardin (Univ. of Pacific)	6	1959-64	62	38	22	2	.629
Bill Elias (Maryland)	4	1965-68	40	15	22	3	.413
Rick Forzano (Kent State)	4	1969-72	43	10	33	0	.233
George Welsh (USNA)	9	1973-81	102	55	46	1	.544
Gary Tranquill (Wittenberg)	5	1982-86	55	20	34	1	.373
Elliot Uzelac (W. Michigan)	3	1987-89	33	8	25	0	.242
George Chaump (Bloomsburg)	5	1990-94	55	14	41	0	.255
Charlie Weatherbie (Okla. St.)	7	1995–2001	75	30	45	0	.400
Rick Lantz (Central Conn. St.)	<1	2001	3	0	3	0	.000
Paul Johnson (W. Carolina)	6	2002–2007	74	45	29	0	.608
Ken Niumatalolo (Hawai'i)	4	2007–Present	51	31	20	0	.608

Individual award winners

Retired football jerseys
Number	Player
12	Roger Staubach
27	Joe Bellino
30	Napoleon McCallum

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 – All-American (1906, 1908)
• Zerbin Singleton – Disney's Wide World of Sports Spirit Award (2007)

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
  • Joe Bellino (Halfback, 1958–60, 1977) College HOF Bio
  • Buzz Borries (Halfback, 1932–34, 1960) College HOF Bio
  • George Brown (Guard, 1942–43, 1947, 1985, San Diego State) College HOF Bio
  • John Brown (Guard / Tackle, 1910–13, 1951) College HOF Bio
  • Slade Cutter (Tackle, 1932–34, 1967) College HOF Bio
  • John Dalton (Halfback, 1908–11, 1970) College HOF Bio
  • Dick Duden (End, 1943-45, 2001) College HOF Bio
  • Steve Eisenhauer (Tackle / Guard, 1951–53, 1994) College HOF Bio
  • Tom Hamilton (Halfback, 1924–26, 1965) College HOF Bio
  • Jonas Ingram (Fullback, 1904, 1906, 1968) College HOF Bio
  • Napoleon McCallum (Running Back, 1981–85, 2002) College HOF Bio
  • Skip Minisi (Halfback, 1944–47, 1985, Pennsylvania) College HOF Bio
  • Bob Reifsnyder (Tackle, 1956–58, 1997) College HOF Bio
  • Clyde Scott (Halfback, 1944–48, 1971, Arkansas) College HOF Bio
  • Dick Scott (Center, 1945–47, 1987) College HOF Bio
  • Roger Staubach (Quarterback, 1962–64, 1981) College HOF Bio
  • Don Whitmire (Tackle, 1941–44, 1956, Alabama) College HOF Bio
  • Frank Wickhorst (Tackle, 1924–26, 1970) College HOF Bio
  • Chet Moeller (Safety, 1973-75, 2010) College HOF Bio

• Coaches (Year Inducted)
  • George Welsh (2004) College HOF Bio
  • Bill Ingram (1973) College HOF Bio
  • Gil Dobie (1951) College HOF Bio

CoSIDA Academic All-Americans

Year	Player	Class	Team
1953-54	Steve Eisenhauer	'54
1957-58	Tom Forrestal	'58
1958-59	Joe Tranchini	'60	1st
1969-70	Dan Pike	'70
1974-75	Tim Harden	'75	2nd
1975-76	Chet Moeller	'76	2nd
1979-80	Ted Dumbauld	'81	2nd
1980-81	Ted Dumbauld	'81	1st
1999-00	Terrence Anderson	'00	2nd
2009-10	John Dowd	'12	2nd
2010-11	John Dowd	'12	1st

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.

Seasons

2020s

Season	Coach	Record
2024	Brian Newberry
2023	Brian Newberry	5-7
2022	Ken Niumatalolo	4-8
2021	Ken Niumatalolo	4-8
2020	Ken Niumatalolo	3-7

2010s

Season	Coach	Record
2019	Ken Niumatalolo	11-2
2018	Ken Niumatalolo	3-10
2017	Ken Niumatalolo	7-6
2016	Ken Niumatalolo	9-5
2015	Ken Niumatalolo	11-2
2014	Ken Niumatalolo	8-5
2013	Ken Niumatalolo	9-4
2012	Ken Niumatalolo	8-5
2011	Ken Niumatalolo	5-7
2010	Ken Niumatalolo	9-4

2000s

Season	Coach	Record
2009	Ken Niumatalolo	10-4
2008	Ken Niumatalolo	8-5
2007	Paul Johnson; Ken Niumatalolo	8-5
2006	Paul Johnson	9-4
2005	Paul Johnson	8-4
2004	Paul Johnson	10-2
2003	Paul Johnson	8-5
2002	Paul Johnson	2-10
2001	Charlie Weatherbie; Rick Lantz	0-10
2000	Charlie Weatherbie	1-10

1990s

Season	Coach	Record
1999	Charlie Weatherbie	5-7
1998	Charlie Weatherbie	3-8
1997	Charlie Weatherbie	7-4
1996	Charlie Weatherbie	9-3
1995	Charlie Weatherbie	5-6
1994	George Chaump	3-8
1993	George Chaump	4-7
1992	George Chaump	1-10
1991	George Chaump	1-10
1990	George Chaump	5-6

1980s

Season	Coach	Record
1989	Elliot Uzelac	3-8
1988	Elliot Uzelac	3-8
1987	Elliot Uzelac	2-9
1986	Gary Tranquill	3-8
1985	Gary Tranquill	4-7
1984	Gary Tranquill	4-6-1
1983	Gary Tranquill	3-8
1982	Gary Tranquill	6-5
1981	George Welsh	7-4-1
1980	George Welsh	8-4

1970s

Season	Coach	Record
1979	George Welsh	7-4
1978	George Welsh	9-3
1977	George Welsh
1976	George Welsh
1975	George Welsh
1974	George Welsh
1973	George Welsh
1972
1971
1970

Notable Alumni

• Roger Staubach - 1963 Heisman Trophy winner, former Dallas Cowboys QB

External Links

• Official team site
• Navy midshipmen football article at Wikipedia