Navy is playing a little defense

Sitting down for an interview with The Capital, the third-year coach said he didn't like thinking about the past. However, he was eager to defend his program's stature at the Naval Academy.

"I don't look back and think too much about what the program has accomplished. As a head coach, I always have to look forward," Niumatalolo said. "I think you look back on what you've done from a standpoint of preparation. We try to duplicate what has worked in the past. Other than that, there is no reason to dwell on what's happened in the past."

The Midshipmen have strung together seven straight winning seasons at a time when Division I college football is more competitive than ever.

Navy has dominated its service academy rivals, winning its last 15 meetings with Army and Air Force en route to capturing the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy for seven consecutive years. The Midshipmen have also become a fixture on the postseason circuit - appearing in seven bowl games.

Sitting in his spacious office on the third floor of Ricketts Hall overlooking the Severn River, Niumatalolo admitted he had other things on his mind. It's Niumatalolo's job to maintain Navy's remarkable run of success and he's concerned that will become more difficult as people outside the program question why a service academy has become so good in football.

"We've done a lot to build this program and I'm concerned that people are trying to tear it down. I think there are some people around here who truly don't want us to succeed," Niumatalolo said. "I know there are some naysayers that don't like that we've been successful, who believe that a service academy shouldn't be successful in football. That it must mean the academy's priorities aren't in order, that there is too much emphasis on football.

"I've heard those types of comments and I think it's ludicrous. To me, the Naval Academy is about excelling in everything it does."

A handful of football players have been dismissed from the academy over the last year and Niumatalolo has clearly been stung by the attention paid to some of those cases. The much-publicized situation involving former slotback Marcus Curry, who was retained at the academy after failing a drug test then later dismissed for another violation, gave critics the ammunition to question the character of players in the program.

Academic difficulties that led to the dismissal of standout nose guard Nate Frazier last August and caused star slotback Shun White to graduate nearly a year behind his class have enabled detractors within the Naval Academy to question the caliber of student-athletes in the program.

"Because we've been successful, there has been more scrutiny," he said. "We need to understand that comes with the territory and make sure our players truly understand what it means to be a Midshipman."

Naturally, Niumatalolo bristles at suggestions that winning football games has become too important at the institution and that athletic administrators will do anything to keep a good thing going.

"The reason we've had success is because the coaching staff has worked very hard in recruiting and the players have busted their butts on the practice field. We've done it the old-fashioned way. We haven't taken any shortcuts," he said.

Niumatalolo noted the Naval Academy mission statement emphasizes developing the whole person - morally, mentally and physically. He does not understand why winning in athletics can't be part of that, provided the players understand their other responsibilities.

"We have always stressed that we are in the business of developing Naval and Marine Corps officers, first and foremost. We believe the lessons a player learns on the football field can help them become a better officer. We never diminish the academic or military side. We feel all three are important to creating the whole person," he said.

On the eve of the 2010 season, Navy is drawing national attention. The Midshipmen have been ranked just outside the Top 25 by most polls and boast a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate in quarterback Ricky Dobbs.

However, Niumatalolo wasn't eager to talk about how far the program has come since suffering a 3-30 record during a three-year span. Navy hit rock bottom in 2002 when it went winless.

Navy hasn't come close to suffering a losing season since. Navy reached new heights in 2009, equaling a school record with 10 wins while knocking off Notre Dame on the road and upsetting Missouri in the Texas Bowl.

"Instead of reflecting on the past success, I am more concerned with making sure we don't get complacent as a program from top to bottom - players, coaches, support staff, everybody," Niumatalolo said. "We don't want to look in the rear-view mirror. Instead, we need to keep looking forward and figure out how we can get better, how we can stay ahead of the curve when it comes to competing against the other service academies and winning the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy."

Because he thinks Navy football is somewhat under siege, Niumatalolo says it is more important than ever to make sure members of the football program carry themselves in exemplary fashion. The team motto for 2010 is "Choose the Right" and that message has been preached constantly since preseason practice began.

"The coaching staff and the captains have been talking to the team more than ever about doing the right things at all times. A big push of the program is to make sure that all our players understand that what happens off the field is important… because I don't want anything to tarnish what we've accomplished on the field," Niumatalolo said.

"We want to continue to win, but I want to make sure we do it the right way. I feel like we have been doing it the right way all along, but because of some things that have happened recently that have caused some people to ask questions, I want to put an extra emphasis on that."