About two years ago, Ken Niumatalolothe winningest football coach in Navy history, was fired immediately following the Midshipmen’s loss to Army in double overtime on Dec. 11, 2022.

The sudden termination marked the end of a 25-year tenure at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, for Niumatalolo and his family.

Looking back, Niumatalolo, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is not sad about how things ended, but he can clearly see the Lord’s hand guiding his life.

“When I first became a head coach, I knew it would be about more than football,” he told Church News.

Niumatalolo said they were blessed with many experiences that helped them grow spiritually during this period of their lives. He was one of six Latter-day Saints featured in the church-produced documentary film: “Meet the Mormons.” He and his wife, Barbara, raised their family and fulfilled various Church callings. served as President of the Annapolis Maryland Shareand served as regional communications director. Rededication of the Washington DC Temple On Aug. 14, 2022, a few months before Niumatalolo’s final game at Navy.

“I always looked at it from a football perspective, but it was like when it was over, our time there and God’s purposes for us in that part of the vineyard were over,” he said.

Two years later, Niumatalolo is in the middle of his first year with the team. Head coach at San Jose State UniversityAs of Nov. 3, the Spartans are 5-3, one win away from bowl eligibility.

“Eight games in, I’m happy with where we are right now. I’m not going to say I’m happy because I really feel like we should be 7-1, but I’m happy, we’re pushing forward and our guys are working hard,” the coach said with a grin.

Niumatalolo, who is in his bye week with his team, reflected on a series of meaningful personal experiences that led him to San Jose State during an interview with Church News.

Lessons as a shareholder

Niumatalolo was surprised to be called up as head coach after 11 seasons as a collegiate head football coach. Share chairman in 2019. He knew that balancing his duties as a coach and Church leader would be a significant challenge. He found comfort and reassurance in realizing that his work, his home, and his meetinghouse were all minutes away from each other.

“God had already thought of all this,” he said.

The 2019 season was the best of Niumatalolo’s coaching career. The Midshipmen went 11-2, ranked No. 20 nationally, and capped it off with a victory over Kansas State in the Liberty Bowl.

“The Lord had shown me that I could be successful as a stake president and head coach,” he said.

The next three years were the “worst” years of his career.

“These were just things I had to live with,” Niumatalolo said. “They often made me fall to my knees and pray for guidance. These trials brought me closer to the Lord. “I was able to hear the voice of my Lord clearly during the pandemic.”

Prepared for change

Knowing his job was on the line, Niumatalolo said he humbly petitioned the Lord for help getting ready for the Army-Navy game at the end of the 2022 season.

One night he dreamed that the Army sideline was charging onto the field in celebration. Niumatalolo woke up in horror and told himself that this was just a dream and not reality, and then continued to pray to God.

His team was on the field for the go-ahead goal in double overtime when a Navy player dropped the ball inches from the goal line. Army then made the game-winning shot and, just like in his dream, his teams ran onto the field.

Although Niumatalolo was devastated by the defeat, he knew what was coming.

“Looking back now, it was a very compassionate act of mercy,” Koç said. “I was at peace because the Lord had already shown me things, He had already prepared me.”

After Niumatalolo was released, he and his wife decided it was best to leave Annapolis and move closer to his family. He was released as stake president and a new one was called.

The new stake president told Niumatalolo that when the turmoil occurred he had a spiritual impression that the man would be called as the new stake president.

“This was a tender mercy of the Lord for both of us, to help us both recognize the will of the Lord and prepare ourselves for it,” said Niumatalolo, who told the story while speaking at a meeting. BYU–Hawaii dedication In February 2024.

‘Tender mercies’ at UCLA

After leaving the Navy, Ken Niumatalolo was hired as the director of leadership at UCLA under then-head coach Chip Kelly for the 2023 season. He considered his year with the Bruins a huge blessing, the “perfect job” for him in many ways at the time.

Niumatalolo, 59, who “backpacked at UCLA while his wife frequently traveled to visit the couple’s other children and grandchildren,” said he learned from Kelly, “one of the smartest offensive minds and college coaches.” country. He also observed how the transfer portal and “NIL” work (“Name, Picture, Similarity”) worked with college athletes, which helped prepare him for his next head coaching job.

Another blessing was that Kelly gave Niumatalolo the opportunity to attend weekly Church meetings on Sundays and the Los Angeles California Temple during the week; something he has never been able to do consistently throughout his adult life and decades-long coaching career.

Perhaps the greatest blessing was the opportunity to live and work with his son, Ali’i Niumatalolo, who was then a graduate assistant coach at UCLA.

“I loved living with him. I don’t know if he loved living with me, but it was wonderful,” said Ken Niumatalolo. “All of these were tender mercies and blessings to me.”

Coaching family tree

Before leaving the Navy, Niumatalolo’s other son, former BYU player Va’a Niumatalolowas an assistant coach on the staff – currently in his fifth season with Navy, Ali’i Niumatalolo is currently Assistant Coach at Utah Tech.

Even though his sons grew up watching their father coach against top programs like Notre Dame and Ohio State, Ken Niumatalolo didn’t expect them to follow in his footsteps.

But now as coaches with a special family bond, they love to talk about everything from football to spiritual matters. He always reminds them to “keep shaping your guys, keep mentoring them, keep developing them, keep building them.”

“I am proud of them. Both are full-time coaches at the Division I level, and that’s tough to do. It is difficult to get into this profession,” Niumatalolo said. “I was proud of everything they did.”

In an interview with Desert NewsVa’a Niumatalolo said the one thing he learned from his father was that there is no need to compartmentalize one’s life. He could wear many hats with ease, as he demonstrated in the Navy while also being a college football coach, stake president, husband, father and grandfather.

“But he always remains the same person; he is consistent,” Va’a Niumatalolo told the Deseret News. “Daddy might be a little busier now than he was when he was teaching Sunday School in the locker room. But he’s always the same man. “He doesn’t change.”

San Jose State

At the end of the 2023 season, Kelly made an offer to Ken Niumatalolo. Assistant coaching position on UCLA staff. Niumatalolo was initially unsure if he wanted to return to coaching in this capacity, but after consideration, he accepted the job in January 2024.

Shortly thereafter, Niumatalolo received a call from his agent about the opening at San Jose State. Head coaching positions rarely open up that time of year, but the ripple effect is Nick Saban retiring at Alabama and being replaced by Washington’s Kalen DeBoer, being replaced by Arizona’s Jedd Fisch and being replaced by San Jose State. It started with the introduction of Brent Brennan.

University officially announced that he was hired On January 21 in Niumatalolo.

Now settled in San Jose State, Niumatalolo and his wife have embraced the school and the community. He serves as Sunday School president, and he and his wife teach gospel doctrine in the Rose Garden Ward of the South Fort in San Jose California. Niumatalolo maintains his routine of studying scriptures and exercising early in the morning, which he considers important in his life.

“I have definitely seen the hand of God from the navy to here. “I need to be here and this gives me and my family great peace,” he said. “I’m grateful to be a manager again. There are only 130 of these jobs and they are hard to find. Hopefully we can continue to play well, win more games and get into the cup game.”